IMMERSIONTHIS IS A GUIDE TO WHAT PROCESSES AND TECHNICS I HAVE ENCOUNTERED DURING

THIS STUDIO.

CONTENT

INTRO 01PROJECT 1 02-03PROJECT 2 04-07PROJECT 3 08-11PROJECT 4 12-15PROJECT 5 16-24

PROJECT 1PROCESS OF WORK, USING BALLOONS,

FABRIC, THREAD AND STOCKINGS

THIS PROJECT WAS ABOUT FINDING THE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN YOUR BODY AND ITS SURROUNDINGS, TO ENABLE YOU TO EXPLORE THE CONNECTIONS. WE MADE A DEVICE THAT WAS AN EXTENSION BETWEEN YOUR THOUGHT PROCESS, YOUR MOVEMENTS AND YOUR SPATIAL ENVIRONMENT. USING ONLY A FEW MATERIALS AS MENTIONED ABOVE, WE CREATE A ‘GLOVE’ THAT WOULD REMIND YOU OF BAD HABITS SUCH AS TAPPING THE TABLE WHEN BEING IMPATIENT. THIS ‘GLOVE’ WOULD GIVE YOU BIOFEEDBACK AND IT WOULD HELP YOU SUPPRESS THE SOUND OF YOUR HANDS TAPPING, THEREFOR IT WOULD ALSO NOT GIVE YOU THE SATISFACTION OF MAKING FRUSTRATING NOISE WHEN STRESSED. CONSIDERING THE TIME FRAME MAKING THIS PROTOTYPE I THOUGHT THE OUT COME WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL.

PROSE AND CONSTHROUGH OUT THIS PROJECT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH

LATEX IN LOTS OF DIFFERENT SHAPES AND FORMS. WE CALL OUR SELF -LATEX PROS NOW. YEP THATS US.

USING LATEX TO CREATE A TUBE LIKE ACCESSORY, WAS NOT AS EASY AS WE THOUGHT. WE STARTED OF SPENDING HOURS PAINTING GARDEN TUBING, AND USING A HAIR DRYER TO SPEED UP THE PROCESS. (AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE PHOTOS BELOW). THE LATEX DRIED UNEVENLY AND IT CREATED A SCRUFFY SURFACE ON THE TUBING. BUT WE FIGURED OUT A BETTER WAY OF APPLYING THE LATEX TO THE TUBE. ITS CALLED -DROP TECHNIC WHICH MEANS YOU DIP THE OBJECT THEN LET IT HANG AND DROP UNTIL ITS DRY. THIS TURNED OUT VERY SUCCESSFUL, WE FILLED THE TUBE WITH COOLING GEL AND ATTACHED A MAGNET ON EITHER ENDS. VOLA- PERFECT.

LATEX

NECK

AS WE WERE PLAYING WITH THE IDEA THAT YOU COULD WEAR AN ACCESSORY AND BENEFIT FROM IT. WE FOCUSED MAINLY ON THE NECK, THROAT AND WRIST. WE WANTED TO MAKE SOMETHING THAT WAS PERSONALIZED AND HAD PERFECT FIT AROUND YOUR BODY. SO WE STARTED DRAWING UP A SHAPE. THEN DECIDED IT WOULD WORK BETTER TO PAINT LATEX STRAIGHT ON TO THE NECK, BECAUSE OF ITS CURVY SHAPE. AFTER DOING SO WE REALIZED IT WAS PROBABLY MADE TOO THIN, SINCE WHEN WE WANTED TO APPLY THE RICE POCKETS THE LATEX BROKE AND SPLIT. SO WITH MORE TIME WE WOULD HAVE CHANGED THAT. WE COULD EVEN HAVE MADE TWO PIECES AND STITCHED THEM TOGETHER.

SINCE THE LATEX NECK PIECE BROKE AND WE WANTED TO HAVE A NECK PIECE THAT WORKED. WE QUICKLY USED THE SAME IDEA, OF A WRAP AROUND YOUR NECK AND THROAT SHAPE. BUT THIS TIME STITCHED IT TOGETHER USING COTTON FABRIC AND LEATHER ROPES IN BETWEEN THE POCKETS. WE MADE IT ADJUSTABLE SO ANYONE COULD MAKE IT THE PERFECT FIT FOR THEIR BODY. WE FILLED THE POCKETS WITH RICE THAT YOU CAN PUT IN THE MICROWAVE FOR A FEW MINUTES AND THE NECK PIECE WOULD COME OUT WARM AND SOFT. THIS WOULD BE A PERFECT ACCESSORY ANY COLD WINTER DAY. THE ONE THING THAT WE WOULD HAVE WANTED TO CHANGE WAS THE LEATHER STRINGS IN-BETWEEN, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER IF IT WAS ATTACHED TO A PIECE OF THIN SOFT FABRIC.

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SINCE THE BREIF WAS ABOUT MULTIPLYING A SHAPE, WE DECIDED WE WANTED TO USE A SPHERE SHAPE. THIS WAS AFTER SEVERAL DISCUSSIONS AND AFTER WE ALL HAD FELT, TOUCHED AND EXPERIENCED DIFFERENT OBJECTS WITH DIFFERENT SHAPES. THE OBJECT WE HAD THAT WAS ROUND WAS A PING-PONG BALL. WE LIKED THE FEELING OF THIS SMALL BUT INTERESTING OBJECT. WE STARTED TO THINK OF HOW TO USE THE SHAPE. WE COULD BUY READY MADE PING-PONG BALLS AND USE THEM, OR WE COULD MAKE MOULDS WITH THEM AND MULTYPLY THE SHAPE THAT WAY. WE WENT WITH THE SECOND OPTION

AFTER MAKING A TACTILE EXPERIENCE WITH A LATEX CUSHION. WE WANTED TO ADD EXPLORE OTHER SENSE. VISION AND HEARING WAS TO BE EXPLORED.

AFTER TRYING TO RECORD PING-PONG BALLS ROLLING TOWARDS THE CAMERA, HAVING THEM DROP FROM ABOVE AND BELOW. WE DECIDED THAT STOP-MOTION WAS PROBABLY THE NEXT STEP TO TAKE, DUE TO THE POSSIBILITIES TO PHOTOSHOP OUT THE FISHING LINE WE HAD GLUED ON TO THE BALLS. SO USING A STICK, STRING AND BALLS WE MADE A STOP-MOTION MOVIE, THEN PHOTOSHOPED THE PHOTOS AND USED IMOVIE TO MAKE THE MOVIE. WE THEN SPENT TIME MAKING A SOUND TRACK IN THE WHISPER ROOM AT RMIT. WE USED THE LATEX CUSHION AND THE PING-PONG BALLS, LOOPED IT AND MADE THE TRACK ACCELERATE AND INTENSIFY. SO WHEN YOU TOOK PART OF THE INSTALLATION YOU LISTENED TO A STRANGE AND UNCOMFORTABLE NOISE.

WE MADE LOTS OF LITTLE TEST MOULDS WITH CLAY, AND PLASTER. WHICH WE PAINTED LATEX ON AND ATTACHED VARIOUS MATERIALS SUCH AS STING, FABRIC, WIRE. WE DIDN’T END UP USING THEM BUT IT WAS PART OF THE PROBLEM SOLVING, TESTING THEM.

TRIAL BY ERROR

SO USING A SPHERE SHAPE, WE USED CLAY AND PLASTIC CONTAINER. FILLED HALF OF IT UP WITH CLAY AND MADE DINTS AND BUMS USING PING-PONG BALLS. WE THEN POURED PLASTER ON TOP OF THE CLAY, ALL THE WAY UP TO THE TOP OF THE CONTAINER. THEN LEFT IF FOR 3 DAYS BUT WHEN WE CAME BACK TO START PAINTING LATEX ON THE PLASTER TILE WE NOTICED IT WAS NOT COM-PLETELY DRY YET. SO THIS MADE THE LATEX PROCESS EVEN LONGER. WE HAD TO USE THE HEAT GUN ON A VERY LOW HEAT, BUT AFTER A WHOLE DAY OF LATEX-ING THE TILE WE HAD ENOUGH TILES TO MAKE A CUSHION. WE STARTED TEST-ING WHERE THIS CUSHION SHOULD BE USED. HOW WE WANTED TO SITUATE THE INSTALLATION, TO MAKE IT AS IMMERSING AND TACTILE AS POSSIBLE. SO WE TESTED SEVERAL POSITIONS. BUT WE ALL AGREED SITTING ON IT AND RESTING YOUR BACK TO IT, WOULD BE THE MOST TACTILE. WE ALSO TESTED THE MOVIE AGAINST A LONG PIECE OF FABRIC, TO SEE HOW WE WANTED IT TO BE EXPERI-ENCED. AFTER WE HAD TRIED ALL THIS WE STUFFED THE CUSHION TO MAKE THE BUMS HARDER, AND ATTACHED THE FABRIC, TO MAKE THIS COCOON LIKE SHAPE. JUST TO ADD SOMETHING EXTRA WE ALSO SPRAY PAINTED ABOUT TWENTY PING-PONG BALLS WITH SILVER COLOUR. AND ATTACHED FISHING LINE TO THEM, THEY WERE MEANT TO DISTRACT YOU, MAKE YOUR VISION CHANGE PERSPECTIVE WHEN LOOKING AT THE MOVIE AND THE BALLS HANGING IN FRONT

ALGINATE

THIS WAS OUR FIRST WORKSHOP USING ALGINATE, I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN INTRIGUED WITH THE EAR SO I DECIDED TO CAST MY EAR. THIS TURNED OUT TO BE QUITE A TASK, AFTER HOLDING MY HAND ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE ALGINATE . I STARTED TO FEEL SICK, AND NAUSEOUS, IT WAS REALLY UNCOMFORTABLE TO HAVE YOUR EAR FULL OF THIS THICK LIQUID. AFTER 10 MINUTES IT HAD SET, SO I COULD CAREFULLY TAKE IT OUT OF MY EAR. I THEN POURED PLASTER IN THE ALGINATE MOULD. THE FINISHED PRODUCT YOU CAN SEE TO THE LEFT. THIS WAS ONE PART OF MY INVESTIGATION OF THE EAR AND BALANCE.

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I USED A SURFACE GLITTER TO APPLY TO THE EAR, BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE. THIS WEARABLE WAS TEMPORARY AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SINCE YOU COULD BARELY FEEL IT. BUT KNOWING YOU HAD IT ON YOU, MADE YOU A LOT MORE AWARE OF YOUR EAR. I WAS PAINTING MENTAL AWARENESS

THIS FEATHER IS ATTACHED TO A PIECE OF WAX, WHICH IS SOFT AND EASY TO SHAPE. PUSHING THIS INTO YOUR INNER EAR. CREATED A FEELING OF ABSENCE ON THAT SIDE OF YOUR BODY. IT MADE IT HARD TO HEAR AND THE LITTLE WEIGHT IT HAD, MADE YOU WANT TO TILT YOUR HEAD TO THE OTHER SIDE TO EVEN OUT YOUR BALANCE.

THE CHAIN WAS ATTACHED TO A FOAM EAR PIECE, AND IT HAD A LOOP OF STRING YOU COULD HAND AROUND YOUR EAR TO KEEP THE FOAM IN YOUR INNER EAR. THIS CHAIN WAS LONG AND HEAVY, IT MADE IT HARD TO WALK AND HARD TO KEEP YOUR BALANCE. THIS IS VERY CLEAR IN THE PERFORMANCE MOVIE, SHOWING THE MODEL STUBBLING WHEN TRYING TO WALK WITH THIS IN HER EAR.

I WAS LOOKING AT THE BODY AND WHAT IS HOLDING UP OUR STRUCTURE, THE SPINE. THIS MADE ME WANT TO EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITIES OF MAKING US MORE AWARE OF IT, SINCE I FEEL IT IS NEGLECTED AND OFTEN FORGOTTEN. SO I STARTED TESTING SEVERAL POSTURES AND WAYS OF MOVING. MY INITIAL IDEA WAS MAKING A STRUCTURE THAT WAS STIFF SO YOU COULD WEAR IT AS A GARMENT WHEN EVER YOU FELT LIKE KEEPING A STRAIGHT POSTURE. AFTER MAKING THIS RHINO MODEL OF A INTERPRETATION OF THE SPINE BONE, I HAD IT 3D PRINTED. THE 3D PRINT CAME OUT VERY DELICATE AND BEAUTIFUL. MY PLAN WAS TO MAKE A MOULD OF THIS 3D MODEL AND CAST LOTS OF PIECES FROM THE ORIGINAL. IT MADE ME START THINKING OF THIS PROJECT DIFFERENTLY. I WANTED IT TO BECOME SOMETHING THAT MADE YOU MORE AWARE, WITHOUT BEING A STIFF STRUCTURE. I WANTED TO CAPTURE THIS EPHEMERAL MOMENT AND RECORD IT, A SET TIME, WITH SET MOVEMENTS TO EXPLORE THIS THRESHOLD BETWEEN YOUR BONES, SKIN AND THE MODEL.

MOVING WITH AWARNESS

I MADE A FEW TEST MOULDS WITH PINKYSILL, I FINALLY FOUND A WAY OF MAKING THE MOULD SIMPLE BUT WELL STRUCTURED AND EASY TO USE. THIS WAS A SO CALLED ‘ONE PART MOULD’.

USING A SCALE, I MEASURED 1 PART A AND 2PARTS B OF THE RESIN. THE MIXED IN A LITTLE ILLUMINOUS POWDER TO GET THE OBJECTS TO GLOW IN THE DARK, I MADE 15 OF THESE OBJECTS USING THE SAME TECHNIC.

I MADE A MOVIE

I MADE A MOVIE

I ATTACHED THE OBJECTS TO MY MODELS SKIN WITH A SPECIAL SKIN TAPE. THEN ASKED HER TO MOVIE THE BODY PART I HAD ATTACHED THE OBJECTS TO. I RECORDED HER MOVING, JUMPING, CART WHEELING, STRETCHING, BENDING, CRAWLING. IT WAS GREAT TO SEE HOW THE OBJECTS FOLLOWED HER BODY, THE MADE BOTH HER AND ME AWARE OF HER INTERNAL STRUCTURE. WHEN IT WAS DARK AND THE PIECES WERE GLOWING IT MADE IT LOOK MAGICAL AND REALLY IMMERSIVE. IT TURNED OUT MUCH BETTER THEN I HAD HOPED.