9. Textile Scaffold¶
Research¶
This topic in general seemed quite interesting to me, where the perspective of the textile within its traditional conception is changing and allows us to explore different combinations that could be considered within textile manipulation.
One project that addresses textile manipulation from this perspective is the work of experimental materials studio MUUNA, which creates conceptually driven textile collections. Led by designer Hannah Croft, whose background is in textile design innovation, the studio takes a more sensory and experimental approach, making different use of familiar design elements such as weaving, embroidery and crystal embellishment, while redefining certain concepts and characteristics unique to textile-based design. Her work brings together materials and processes from diverse fields. Hannah Croft, adopting the role of scientist as well as designer, combines luxurious yarns and fabrics with gritty, patinated metals, crystal growth inducing chemical solutions and molten resin, ingredients one tends to think of as industrial.
Another intervention that caught my attention was the fabric formwork, which is presented as a flexible, light, organic alternative to traditional formwork. In the research research conducted by Jon Engholt and Dave Pigram, they present a construction system that integrates 3D printing in this technique, where curved structures with great potential to improve the structure of buildings can be achieved. For this research, they performed numerous tests, including matching extrusion and fabric material, tuning the print technique, and then dealing with the composition of concrete. They also detoured to compare 3D plastic printing to that of fabric frameworks and 'the logic of tensile shuttering.
Thus, the options for the textile scaffold can be worked for different applications on different surfaces. In addition to those already mentioned, other interventions were seen during classes. Below is an outline of the different options that can be developed:
To begin the experimentation, I chose to start with crystallization, a striking effect that can bring a new aesthetic dimension to different projects. As references, I really like Tokujin Yoshioka's Crystallized project, in particular Natural crystal chair 'VENUS - Natural crystal chair' (2008) is a work in which in a water tank, natural crystals are grown to form crystalline structures and transformed into a chair. A musical piece creates a painting. In the crystal paintings 'Swan Lake', 'Destiny' and 'Moonlight', the music plays during the process of crystal growth and is completed when the crystal shapes change with the sound vibrations.
Ingredients & Recipes¶
Among the materials needed, and those that were more accessible, alum and borax were chosen. In addition, lids were prepared for the containers where the solution would be stored. They were made in mdf by laser cutting with a pattern of holes. This would help to hang the material that will have contact with the solution. The quantity used was:
* 6 tablespoons of borax x 500 ml of water
* 8 tablespoons of alum x 500 ml of water
Proccess¶
Once the materials were ready, we started boiling the water, in this case we did it in two beakers. To add one more variable to the experiment, we divided each solution into two parts, and in one of them we added 10 drops of blue vegetable dye. As a result we obtain 4 beakers: 2 of alum and 2 of borax.
When the water has reached boiling point, we add the corresponding amount of alum and borax and proceed to dissolve. To obtain better results, it was considered to filter the content to obtain a liquid free of the minerals that had not been able to disintegrate, this was done with a filter paper and a funnel.
Something very curious is that as it was filtered, the alum solution began to form crystals quite quickly, both on the walls of the funnel and on the filter paper cone, which made it difficult for the solution to pass through, so the filtering took regular time.
Pipe cleaners were used as a base for the crystals. Organic structures were formed and attached to the lids cut with mdf. and thanks to the lids with holes, it was possible to attach them without touching the walls of the container. The samples were left to stand without moving them with the pipe cleaners suspended.
Within half an hour, crystal formations were already visible in the alum solution. After 24 hours, the pipe cleaners already had some crystal formations, while the borax apparently still did not work.
After 72 hours, the bases were removed, revealing the formation of crystals. In the case of the alum, they were finer and more abundant, covering the entire structure, while in the case of the borax, larger crystals were formed, but only in some areas. In addition, the color of the dye could be seen in the crystals. As an important note to consider, alum crystals tend to be more fragile, while borax gives a firmer result.
