DESIGN NAME: Goldwater
PRIMARY FUNCTION: Pendant
INSPIRATION: The Inspiration of this pendant design is to combine a traditional Chinese Yin-Yang philosophy with a minimal surface form factor, so that it visually achieves a three dimensional modern sculpture. The sub inspiration comes from an old Chinese saying that metal and water benefits each other.
The ripple like pattern applied on the concave areas represents water. The gold material it self represents metal. In Taoism, the Chinese believes that the world is comprised of five elements which are metal, wood, water, fire and soil. Those five elements also reflect human’s organs, such as heart, liver, spleen, lung and kidneys. Among those elements, a single one mutually promotes or restrains the rest. In this design, the gold material itself refers lung and the water-like pattern refers kidneys. Both mutually benefit each other in traditional Chinese medicine. Thus, it delivers a lively and vivid meaning to it's wearer. The general form itself reflects the graphic of Yin-Yang. Thus, it also conveys a dynamic spirit of the Universe.
The term “minimal surface” is used because these surfaces originally arose as surfaces that minimized total surface area subject to some constraint. Physical models of area-minimizing minimal surfaces can be made by dipping a wire frame into a soap solution, forming a soap film, which is a minimal surface whose boundary is the wire frame.
UNIQUE PROPERTIES / PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The uniqueness of the Goldwater is that it is a modern explanation of traditional Chinese culture.
As we have seen that there are so many existing designs which reflect the combinations of traditional western culture and modern design. Take for an instance, the empty area on the church’s wall designed by Japanese famous architect Tadao Ando, which emits the sunlight with the outline of the cross, conveys that holiness, mighty and greatness.
However, It is hardly to find a modern design with tradition eastern culture, especially Chinese culture. Interestingly, you have found the resemblance of the Yin-Yang philosophy from modern movie. Take the “interstellar” directed by Christopher Nolan for an instance, since the leading role flew through the black hole into four dimensional space, it appears a contradictory but mutually effective world. No one knows what a parallel world would be looked like. But since the science and AI have been developed incredibly, the singularity will be eventually achieved. At that point what would the world be like? Perhaps we could go to a parallel world just like the movie shows.
OPERATION / FLOW / INTERACTION: At the beginning, fixing the pendant has been considered as part of the form itself. Thus, there are two penetrated holes which can be used separately or together. The owner could fix it either on necklace or bracelet.
PROJECT DURATION AND LOCATION: The project started in December 2017 in Beijing and finished in February 2018.
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PRODUCTION / REALIZATION TECHNOLOGY: The design has been generated through Rhino/Grasshopper. The physical pendant is made by 3D-printing first to have the wax core. Then by using lost wax process, the coarse gold sample can be acquired. Finally, the whole piece needs to be polished by hand.
SPECIFICATIONS / TECHNICAL PROPERTIES: The Pendant is in 18 carat gold / AU 750.It's about 7.9 grams. 18mm x 18mm x 13mm / a hexagon wood box package with a rope and tags inside / 3D Printing wax, hand polish.
TAGS: Pendant, Jewelry, sculpture, parametric,Taoism,Yin-Yang, Token, Chinese culture,Contradictory space
RESEARCH ABSTRACT: Firstly, the definition of this pendant design is to find the sweet spot between Chinese traditional culture and modern design method. In this case, I have tried many different styles such as minimalism and parametric design to match Yin-Yang or Zen Philosophies. Finally, I have chosen the parametric design as my ultimate design logic to express the Yin-Yang.
Secondly, to achieve the form which is self-contradictory but perfect, I have set many testing parameters, for instance, from the front view it has to be a perfect circle, the transitional surface need to be curvature smooth; from the right and left view, it has to be an oval. Furthermore, the ripple like pattern has to be grown based on the shape of the surface.
Finally, I had a survey with my friends. When they see the design, they can come up with some relevant words of design inspirations which I expect to have.
CHALLENGE: After 3D printing and die-cast, it has to be polished by hands. Since the pattern is to small to be polished, the size and shape have been modified many time.
ADDED DATE: 2018-02-27 12:53:09
TEAM MEMBERS (1) :
IMAGE CREDITS: Lingsong Jin, 2017.
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