Stick and Dowel  – project 2 (30%)

This assignment is designed to challenge you to design and make a “beautiful”, “interesting” artefact.

It is based around the idea that you can create a simple sculptural piece with a stick and a dowel rod.

The stick should be sized between 30mm to 45mm diameter and have length of between 300 and 450 mm.

The dowel should be between 3mm and 10mm diameter and have a length between 10mm and 3000mm

You should create a sculptural piece that uses both pieces as they intersect. You make cuts in either the stick or the dowel to allow intersection and to add “beauty and interest”

You can glue the components together if you wish. No screws or other fixings are allowed.

You should present a sketch book of ideas, a final design rendering, an orthographic drawing and the constructed final piece. The final piece should be well made, crafted and nicely finished. The final pieces will be offered for sale by auction with no reserve prices at the end of year degree show.

Challanges:

What way can you add “interest” to the components.

What is “beautiful”

You will need to draw and think about your solution. You will then need to “find” your stick. That will cause a random element to the design process. Perhaps the stick will cause a revision to the design. You will then need to make the piece. The making will involve cutting and drilling and assembling. What can possibly go wrong?

On the face of it this is a simple project – drill a hole in the stick and place the rod in the hole – project finished. But it is not that simple. Will the hole be at 90 degrees to the stick? Will there be a number of cuts in the stick made? How ambitious is the design? How capable are you when it comes to making? The design brief is simple but restricted. What level of design ambition will you settle for? How long will it take to design the object? Will you show any of your class mates? Will they come up with the same idea?