Initially, Sinae and I were going to use cardboard to make the models as it is easy to paint and shape. However, After creating my model's face out of cardboard I realized it was too heavy for the body.
to rectify the issue I tried to attach the heads to some wooden sticks however this was still unsuccessful.
Sinae then suggested that we create the faces using paper and it worked.
one of the final decisions we made was to enable the machine to function both magnetically and manually as this will create more interaction with the audience. The Gin o'clock machine's name originates from this idea that if the models reach 9 it can also spell 9in (Gin ) so it is a funny play on words.
During our group tutorial we were asked to consider the following things : the interaction between the audience and the machine ---> relating back to the narrative of attitudes surrounding alcohol we decided to place the man and woman together in order to convey a sense of closeness.
Time element - Nancy introduced this idea to us and from that we decided to design or use a pre existing mechanism that would make the clock move.
I also considered the character design of the man and woman. Collectively we decided to represent two different time periods to highlight to the audience the societies changing attitudes to alcohol.
My role was to create a modern depiction of a man and woman so I used elements of my designs to create a man and woman.
Another aspect I considered was time. In the narrative the person is trying to conceal his /hers drinking habit. when looking at the machine at first, it is not obvious why he /she is concealing the alcohol. Introducing the element of time challenges the status quo.
I was exposed to numerous machines with various functions. In the first session, I entered the "Made in Norwich exhibition " to rebus puzzles. By definition, a rebus puzzle consists of a group of pictures that cryptically tell a narrative of some sorts.
Rebus from around 1865
This image depicts the idea of longing through the use of imagery. The Rebus reads :" "May I see you home my dear?"I think this is an interesting route of exploration within my own work as the Rebus above demonstrates how to convey a narrative. it is possible to simply illustrate this idea or make it obscure just by using pictures.
Today I looked at the various ways the viewer can interact with a machine.
section of the ' The Doll's House' 3D fold out book by Annu kilpelainen
'In the Forest' by Louis Rigard
perhaps the idea of pulling a lever to create movement is something that interests me. Moving forward I would like to in-cooperate this element within the machine
When considering the character design at first we decided we wanted to create a character that had some humanistic qualities to it.
collectively as a group we decided that the figure firstly that the gender of the automata was not important. Secondly drawing influence from Rob Nicol's ceramic work I wanted to explore the use of colour on the machine.
Design development - machines arms cross revealing and concealing alcohol
still approaching this idea of concealment I wondered if on of the functions of the automata could conceal and convey. In my first design, the automata consist of a circular head - triangular body and rectangular legs. The arms are also rectangular and it's function is hold the bottle and book . I attached a set of paper fasteners to the arms to enable movement , and when operated from the back of the automata the arms simultaneously cross over concealing and revealing the objects.
back view of machine
Second position : machine's arms
fully extended
First position machine
in a stationary position
Third position: Machine's arms
in movement
I then decided to create a machete using paper. Although I stuck to my initial design a problem that I encountered was the placement of the arms. I did not position them in the correct place which resulted in the model looking awkward. Technical issues also arose from this such as the link in the right arm got caught on the other link making the machine difficult to operate.
back view of the machine : showing
the crossing of the pins
My initial designs considered the different ways I could reflect concealment using movement. I thought about the way in which the machine would operate; whether that be by physical interaction or magnetic or electrical power. This led me to think about all the machines I have been encounter in my lifetime ; the first machine being a 'Jack in the box '.
1st Brainstorm
I watched a video that demonstrated how the Jack in the box works. I found this very informative and wondered how I could apply the mechanics to my own
As I began to collate my ideas I started how I could apply the Jack in the box method to reflect the idea of concealment. In my second brainstorm I considered how I could recreate the movement of the jack in a box using different mechanics.
2nd Brainstorm
Jack in the box inspired design
In this design the machine works by creating two holes. The first hole contains the lever that is connected to a lollipop stick (body ) of the model. It works by the operator pulling the lever in a continuous left right motion, as it is being pulled the model moves from right to left. Unlike my "Jack in the box inspired design" It's purpose is not to conceal the alcohol but make the viewers aware. I did want the machine have some expect of movement however I want to explore how the movement of the machine reflects the ideas I am trying to convey. Initially I was exploring the idea of concealment but this brings to light other avenues of exploration to consider :
- societal behaviours towards alcohol.
- Time ? was their a specific time period where attitudes to drinking changed.
Time - is there or was there ever a time when their was a sociably acceptable time of day to indulge in alcohol ?
Gender- Where there any social implications for women when it came to drinking alcoholic beverages.
- Place -Did attitudes from alcohol differ from city to city e.g. London - Norwich.
