Cardboard Chair
Title: Bean
Size: 5 feet by 7 feet
Medium: Cardboard and hot glue
Completion: August
Size: 5 feet by 7 feet
Medium: Cardboard and hot glue
Completion: August
Exhibition Text: When understanding design and looking into the thought process that goes into creating a tangible object, often common objects are over looked. This chair was designed to never be over looked, but rather stared at. Inspired by Arne Jacobsen, this is the "Bean chair".
Inspiration:
The inspiration for this piece came from the artist Arne Jacobsen. Jacobson was an accomplished designer who often took a more complicated path than he had to. Unusual shapes and styles were extremely important to him, and he enjoyed focusing on making the consumer both comfortable, and confused. The Jacobsen’s Egg Chair first appeared in the reception areas of the Royal Hotel in Copenhagen. This chair was a culmination of a new technique that Jacobsen established with the Egg. Like a sculptor, Jacobsen first sculpted the Egg out of clay in his garage so he could perfect the shape. Then, he molded the Egg Chair out of a strong foam inner shell under the upholstery. It also includes a footrest to complement the sculptural armchair. The result is an exclusively unique shape, through which Egg Chair affords privacy in otherwise public spaces. A testament of originality and timeless design; it’s the fabric finish and sculptural curves that provide the Egg Chair a classic appeal. Many people view the chair as both a symbol of uniqueness and comfort, while others despise the unusual look. Jacobsen's works were characterized by competent craftsmanship, a fine sense of colour, and the frequent use of complex design and imaging techniques. He was often inspired by food objects or other natural occurring things he would see in his day to day life. All of these things made Jacobsen a perfect example for my inspiration work. He was creative enough to not have to mimic him perfectly, but also had a style that was easily recognizable. It was important to have multiple ideas for when creating a design for a chair although, because usually the first idea is not the best idea. This is what led me to finally stick with Jacobsen, because his art work made the most sense to my style of work. (Images cited in works cited)
Top image- This image features the chair without a person sitting in it, showing its true form. Bottom image- This image shows Arne sitting in his chair smoking a pipe, enjoying his creation. |
Planning:
As I began working out my planning process for this piece I knew I would have to be specific about the connections that I was going to make so that it could be more obvious to the viewer. I needed to find an inspiration that showed use of color to create tone, while also being unique for the viewer to look at and enjoy. I came across the chair "Egg Chair". This piece showed a unique form that the artist specifically chose to fit the human body. These elements truly spoke to an unquie piece, exactly what I was looking for. My theme changed throughout my planning and eventually became "organic". This was important for my work because it was to display the abstractness of a chair design and how it can become a new version of an everyday object. I worked on listing ways in which I could display similarities in my artwork. Eventually I came up with a list of things that give me a consistent idea;
1. Only use cardboard for materials to keep the brown color.
2. Make sure the piece if organic and not geometric.
3. Use the human body as inspiration for the chairs final form.
These three things helped me to shape my artwork into a piece that would truly show emotion and theme as the main ideas of the work. In order to properly plan this piece I began by laying out what I wanted to accomplish each day that I would work on the piece. I began with picking out a template that would properly fit into the theme of my piece. This would allow me to keep my creativity balanced while also being productive. Next, I worked on what my main focal point would be. I planned on following in my inspirations footsteps, and using the sitting area, the most useful part of the piece, to show the amount of uniqueness in the piece. This would allow me to use all of the three elements listed above to truly show the theme. Lastly, I planned out my composition, because my piece was very large, I had had to take extra time on this step. I wanted the piece to be able to fit through any doorway, while also not taking up a whole room. To do this I had had spend time making sure the piece all came together properly, and not overly confusing, which would cause the shape to change as I created the piece.
As I began working out my planning process for this piece I knew I would have to be specific about the connections that I was going to make so that it could be more obvious to the viewer. I needed to find an inspiration that showed use of color to create tone, while also being unique for the viewer to look at and enjoy. I came across the chair "Egg Chair". This piece showed a unique form that the artist specifically chose to fit the human body. These elements truly spoke to an unquie piece, exactly what I was looking for. My theme changed throughout my planning and eventually became "organic". This was important for my work because it was to display the abstractness of a chair design and how it can become a new version of an everyday object. I worked on listing ways in which I could display similarities in my artwork. Eventually I came up with a list of things that give me a consistent idea;
1. Only use cardboard for materials to keep the brown color.
2. Make sure the piece if organic and not geometric.
3. Use the human body as inspiration for the chairs final form.
These three things helped me to shape my artwork into a piece that would truly show emotion and theme as the main ideas of the work. In order to properly plan this piece I began by laying out what I wanted to accomplish each day that I would work on the piece. I began with picking out a template that would properly fit into the theme of my piece. This would allow me to keep my creativity balanced while also being productive. Next, I worked on what my main focal point would be. I planned on following in my inspirations footsteps, and using the sitting area, the most useful part of the piece, to show the amount of uniqueness in the piece. This would allow me to use all of the three elements listed above to truly show the theme. Lastly, I planned out my composition, because my piece was very large, I had had to take extra time on this step. I wanted the piece to be able to fit through any doorway, while also not taking up a whole room. To do this I had had spend time making sure the piece all came together properly, and not overly confusing, which would cause the shape to change as I created the piece.
Process/Techniques/Inspiration:
As I began putting the final piece together I had had to focus on using my skills as both an artist, but also focusing my creativity. I wanted my piece to cohesively work well together, while also giving off the complexity I was hoping for. I began with some experience in doing three-dimensional work and so I felt confident going into the piece. I began by sketching out the final composition so that I could lay it out and use it to cut out all the final cardboard pieces. I also focused on making sure I used majority of the cardboard sheet to my advantage. Next, I began tracing out the pattern and using a knife to cut out the shape. I knew I had to be focused on the lines because I had a limited amount of cardboard and so I had to use each sheet wisely. I wanted the piece to be strong, it should be able to hold my weight, without using stronger materials. This would allow for further creativity in the viewers mind as well. I was also inspired by Arne's use of curve in his piece, and so I decided to use this in the main shape of my piece as well. This would allow for an obvious connection, as well as a building block for the final piece.
Continuing, in order to create the best quality piece that I could, I focused on my technique a lot. For example, I focused intently on not having huge rough lines where-ever I cut out the cardboard, I wanted it to appear smooth. This would promote better composition of the piece in the end. Furthermore, for the seat and the top I wanted to have it be a soft texture so that the viewer would immediately want to know what the chair felt like to sit in. This, although not completely easy, would add more depth to the piece. As I finished the piece, I began adding more details to the chair like back supports and triangles under the seat so it would not cave in. This gave the most sturdy version of a chair I could figure out. Finally, the hardest part of putting the project together was definitely figuring out how to know when the piece was done. I have always struggled with perfection, so I made sure to not go over board with detail on the chair and let the shape speak for itself.
As I began putting the final piece together I had had to focus on using my skills as both an artist, but also focusing my creativity. I wanted my piece to cohesively work well together, while also giving off the complexity I was hoping for. I began with some experience in doing three-dimensional work and so I felt confident going into the piece. I began by sketching out the final composition so that I could lay it out and use it to cut out all the final cardboard pieces. I also focused on making sure I used majority of the cardboard sheet to my advantage. Next, I began tracing out the pattern and using a knife to cut out the shape. I knew I had to be focused on the lines because I had a limited amount of cardboard and so I had to use each sheet wisely. I wanted the piece to be strong, it should be able to hold my weight, without using stronger materials. This would allow for further creativity in the viewers mind as well. I was also inspired by Arne's use of curve in his piece, and so I decided to use this in the main shape of my piece as well. This would allow for an obvious connection, as well as a building block for the final piece.
Continuing, in order to create the best quality piece that I could, I focused on my technique a lot. For example, I focused intently on not having huge rough lines where-ever I cut out the cardboard, I wanted it to appear smooth. This would promote better composition of the piece in the end. Furthermore, for the seat and the top I wanted to have it be a soft texture so that the viewer would immediately want to know what the chair felt like to sit in. This, although not completely easy, would add more depth to the piece. As I finished the piece, I began adding more details to the chair like back supports and triangles under the seat so it would not cave in. This gave the most sturdy version of a chair I could figure out. Finally, the hardest part of putting the project together was definitely figuring out how to know when the piece was done. I have always struggled with perfection, so I made sure to not go over board with detail on the chair and let the shape speak for itself.
Experimentation:
In my past experimentations with art, I have not focused on creating such a large scale piece. This creates a struggle for me when I choose to challenge myself composition I choose to use. I first began my piece by focusing on just the final composition of how I would connect my inspiration to my final creation. I knew that I wanted the piece to look cohesive, while also being made up of several different components. So I experimented with different shape for the body of the chair so that I could understand all of my options. Doing these things helped me better understand how to put together the final composition for the piece. I made sure to focus on what different adhesive techniques I could use so that I could be happy with the look of the final piece. During the process I learned three very important things:
1. Hot glue is easier to use when glueing lines and big surfaces rather than small cracks.
2. Cutting out curved cardboard takes a lot of time and you have to be careful with ripping.
3. Cardboard can be very malleable when the corrugation is going the correct way. l
Continuing, these three things helped me evaluate my success as an artist and my understanding of my inspiration as I worked on it. I also experimented with the techniques I used to put pieces of cardboard together. I used both tape, hot glue, and slits in order to create the seat of the chair. This trial and error was very helpful for learning in the future how to plan out my piece. Furthermore, the curve was supposed to represent both the layers of complexity of the piece, as well as continue the theme of being organic. This was very hard to do because of the lack of experience I had. This was something I struggled with originally because it was an aspect of the piece I wanted to include, but I was unsure how to get it looking correctly. Eventually I was able to have a final creation that resembled a bean, and did not take away from the focus of having a sound structural chair. Finally, with these concepts, I was a was able to create a piece that flowed and used balance to create a chair unique to itself. Using my new skills surrounding technical art, I had a better understanding of using cardboard to create a chair.
In my past experimentations with art, I have not focused on creating such a large scale piece. This creates a struggle for me when I choose to challenge myself composition I choose to use. I first began my piece by focusing on just the final composition of how I would connect my inspiration to my final creation. I knew that I wanted the piece to look cohesive, while also being made up of several different components. So I experimented with different shape for the body of the chair so that I could understand all of my options. Doing these things helped me better understand how to put together the final composition for the piece. I made sure to focus on what different adhesive techniques I could use so that I could be happy with the look of the final piece. During the process I learned three very important things:
1. Hot glue is easier to use when glueing lines and big surfaces rather than small cracks.
2. Cutting out curved cardboard takes a lot of time and you have to be careful with ripping.
3. Cardboard can be very malleable when the corrugation is going the correct way. l
Continuing, these three things helped me evaluate my success as an artist and my understanding of my inspiration as I worked on it. I also experimented with the techniques I used to put pieces of cardboard together. I used both tape, hot glue, and slits in order to create the seat of the chair. This trial and error was very helpful for learning in the future how to plan out my piece. Furthermore, the curve was supposed to represent both the layers of complexity of the piece, as well as continue the theme of being organic. This was very hard to do because of the lack of experience I had. This was something I struggled with originally because it was an aspect of the piece I wanted to include, but I was unsure how to get it looking correctly. Eventually I was able to have a final creation that resembled a bean, and did not take away from the focus of having a sound structural chair. Finally, with these concepts, I was a was able to create a piece that flowed and used balance to create a chair unique to itself. Using my new skills surrounding technical art, I had a better understanding of using cardboard to create a chair.
Critique:
Similarities:
1. Composition- Both pieces are made up of a focal point. They create an interesting piece for both the viewer and the artist to create. Both pieces use a natural curve to fit the human bodies most comfortable sitting position. This allows the chair to be sold for both visual appeal, and functional appeal. 2.Theme- Both themes focus on having an organic look to them. This creates a very unusual looking chair, as most often chairs are geometric and made to fit under and around tables. My chair is low to the ground and would not be able to be used to eat at a table, same for the comparative piece. It would be difficult, so instead both of the chairs can be used for comfort and decoration. 3. Color- Both pieces surround the same color pallet. Warm tones mostly consisting of a singular brown are all used to create the final piece. Arne wanted all of his pieces to be entirely unique to themselves, and so having a specific color palette helped for each piece to look unique to the viewer. I also took this in my inspiration by making sure that the piece was not exactly focused on bright colors but rather keeping it natural. |
Differences:
1. Material- Both of the pieces had limitations, and one of the limitations for my piece was resource and money. This lead me to use cardboard as my material where as the opposing piece uses metal and wood to create the final product. These two differences allow in a difference of sell price, as well as the ability to mass produce the chair. Arne would have an easier time producing his chair because of this. 2. Focus- The focus of the two pieces originally started from two separate ideas, Arne wanted to focus on creating an unusual but functional chair. Where as I wanted to originally create a chair that looked like a beetle. This difference produced two very different outcomes of focus, and thus two different shaped products. 3. Strength- Similar to how the pieces use two different materials, that means that the chairs have two different strengths to them. The chair that I created was able to hold a 273 pound man for 7 minutes before slightly folding. Whereas, the opposing chair does not have a weight or time limit to the structures strength. This makes me chair less functional in the long run of usage. |
Reflection:
Looking back on the final piece that I created, I am very proud of the process and product I was able to produce. I was able to adapt quickly to using a skill set I was not used to using, which helped me learn about what my strengths and weaknesses were. Continuing, I was able to see a clear connection between my inspiration and my final piece. I included similar themes, as well as similar colors in creating my piece. I knew in the beginning of this piece I had to focus on getting to a final product and not correction every single mistake that I would make. Although I am not a perfectionist, when I work on art I tend to over analyze the piece I am creating and never finish my projects. Knowing this was something I would have to work around I planned out each day and how much work I would get done on that day. This helped me to finish my chair in a timely manner and create a piece I was truly proud of.
Continuing, my favorite part of creating this piece was definitely creating the slits of the seat. I had never created chair out of cardboard, so it was a fun challenge to work through. I enjoyed the amount of creative freedom it gave me when I worked on putting all the different ideas in my head together. Originally I did not know what todo to support the weight of a person, but as I worked slowly it all eventually came together. Continuing, when I try and create a three-dimensional piece it can be difficult to have a clear theme which made it important to focus on my technique. Technique was something that i worked hard on staying consistent through this piece and this was reflected in the final product. Even now, I am still working on improving my skills when it comes to cardboard, but this process showed me the strengths and weaknesses I already had.
In conclusion, I hope that others take my work as a chance to look back on their own life. My work is supposed to enlighten the viewers so that they have to think of a deeper meaning, not just what someone could see at first glance. My piece is to be seen as reflective not following common norms, but instead thinking unusually.Finally, in the future I would like to work on having the chair be able to hold more weight for a longer period of time. There were a lot of mistakes I learned from and would love to improve on if I get the change to do this piece again.
Looking back on the final piece that I created, I am very proud of the process and product I was able to produce. I was able to adapt quickly to using a skill set I was not used to using, which helped me learn about what my strengths and weaknesses were. Continuing, I was able to see a clear connection between my inspiration and my final piece. I included similar themes, as well as similar colors in creating my piece. I knew in the beginning of this piece I had to focus on getting to a final product and not correction every single mistake that I would make. Although I am not a perfectionist, when I work on art I tend to over analyze the piece I am creating and never finish my projects. Knowing this was something I would have to work around I planned out each day and how much work I would get done on that day. This helped me to finish my chair in a timely manner and create a piece I was truly proud of.
Continuing, my favorite part of creating this piece was definitely creating the slits of the seat. I had never created chair out of cardboard, so it was a fun challenge to work through. I enjoyed the amount of creative freedom it gave me when I worked on putting all the different ideas in my head together. Originally I did not know what todo to support the weight of a person, but as I worked slowly it all eventually came together. Continuing, when I try and create a three-dimensional piece it can be difficult to have a clear theme which made it important to focus on my technique. Technique was something that i worked hard on staying consistent through this piece and this was reflected in the final product. Even now, I am still working on improving my skills when it comes to cardboard, but this process showed me the strengths and weaknesses I already had.
In conclusion, I hope that others take my work as a chance to look back on their own life. My work is supposed to enlighten the viewers so that they have to think of a deeper meaning, not just what someone could see at first glance. My piece is to be seen as reflective not following common norms, but instead thinking unusually.Finally, in the future I would like to work on having the chair be able to hold more weight for a longer period of time. There were a lot of mistakes I learned from and would love to improve on if I get the change to do this piece again.
ACT Questions:
Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause effect relationship between your inspiration and its effect on your artwork?
- While completing my artwork I was able to clearly identify the cause and effect relationship between my inspiration and its effect on my artwork through the discussion of form and color. My inspiration directly influenced the shape of the chair and the way I constructed the body. This showed an obvious cause and effect relationship.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
- The overall approach my author had regarding my topic of inspiration is that he wanted to create pieces of work that immediately struck the attention of the viewer. He did care about what "Impression" he made, in which, he wanted to make a big one. He made the work for himself.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
- While working on my art piece I have had to make generalizations about the message that my inspiration artist wanted to have come across with his work. This artist is not extremely well known to the levels that for example Picasso might be, and so there are not as many resources about him. This made me make generalizations about some of the information I read. I also made generalizations about the intentions that would come across in my work.
What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
- The central idea/theme of my inspirational research was organic and I focused on conveying that throughout the piece . This focus would ultimately lead me to focus my research on technique rather than the history of the artist.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
- While I was reading my research I made inferences about materials and other sorts of understandings that were not explicitly stated when reading. I wanted to make sure that my inspiration matched my research, so I inferred which structure was created first and what supports were needed where.
Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause effect relationship between your inspiration and its effect on your artwork?
- While completing my artwork I was able to clearly identify the cause and effect relationship between my inspiration and its effect on my artwork through the discussion of form and color. My inspiration directly influenced the shape of the chair and the way I constructed the body. This showed an obvious cause and effect relationship.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
- The overall approach my author had regarding my topic of inspiration is that he wanted to create pieces of work that immediately struck the attention of the viewer. He did care about what "Impression" he made, in which, he wanted to make a big one. He made the work for himself.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
- While working on my art piece I have had to make generalizations about the message that my inspiration artist wanted to have come across with his work. This artist is not extremely well known to the levels that for example Picasso might be, and so there are not as many resources about him. This made me make generalizations about some of the information I read. I also made generalizations about the intentions that would come across in my work.
What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
- The central idea/theme of my inspirational research was organic and I focused on conveying that throughout the piece . This focus would ultimately lead me to focus my research on technique rather than the history of the artist.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
- While I was reading my research I made inferences about materials and other sorts of understandings that were not explicitly stated when reading. I wanted to make sure that my inspiration matched my research, so I inferred which structure was created first and what supports were needed where.
Friedman, U. (2016, August 30). The 5,000-year history of the chair. The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2016/08/chairs-history-witold-rybczynski/497657/.
Haugan, D. (2020). What is organic art? the organic gallery. https://www.theorganicgallery.com/what-is-organic-art.html.
Jacobsen, A. (n.d.). Chairs by Arne Jacobsen. Interior Icons. https://interioricons.com/collections/arne-jacobsen?awcp=383101026&awgp=1170980473088991&awkw=arne+jacobsen&awct=&awpl=&msclkid=e8abb760dfbe14526369d67981f9ec43&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Arne+Jacobsen+-+desktop%288.21_2%29&utm_term=arne+jacobsen&utm_content=arne+jacobsen.
Haugan, D. (2020). What is organic art? the organic gallery. https://www.theorganicgallery.com/what-is-organic-art.html.
Jacobsen, A. (n.d.). Chairs by Arne Jacobsen. Interior Icons. https://interioricons.com/collections/arne-jacobsen?awcp=383101026&awgp=1170980473088991&awkw=arne+jacobsen&awct=&awpl=&msclkid=e8abb760dfbe14526369d67981f9ec43&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Arne+Jacobsen+-+desktop%288.21_2%29&utm_term=arne+jacobsen&utm_content=arne+jacobsen.