My goal for this project is to create an infinity mirror that follows a certain aesthetic theme which will really help add to the illusion of the mirror. With that, my teammate Sreyas recommended a “time” theme, explaining how time is infinite much like the infinity mirror. After many dead ends in creativity and uniqueness in just a regular rectangular infinity mirror I decided that was an amazing idea that I could feasibly complete. I really want people to make the connection with the theme of this piece, not at first glance but after looking at it for a while. The first impression I am shooting for is the optical illusion of the infinity mirror to really fascinate people especially as they see the regular flat faced clock transformed into this impossible third dimension.
The original inspiration for this project came from randomly browsing DIY projects on google images and YouTube when I stumbled across the infinity mirror. I found tutorial videos on how to create this mirror along with many examples of other variations of the mirror.
Coming up with a unique twist to this design was going to be challenging but with Sreyas’ recommendation, I felt this was a great way to make the piece original and fit a specific theme that I could easily build upon.
My plan is to take apart a regular analog clock and build the infinity mirror within the clock using the materials shown below.
The hardest part is going to be combining the analog clock elements with the electrical components of the LED strip. Specifically, I will need to drill a small hole in the face of the clock in order to feed the wires through the back of the clock without destroying any of the mechanical components of the clock. Additionally, the LED strip plugs into a bulky adaptor that I want to conceal behind the clock frame and hope to wire it to run on battery power. The tricky part of this setup is that the music receiver that coordinates the light show is connected to the bulky adaptor and it has a very limited range to pick up sound or music. I also want to keep the numbers visible on the face clock so it keeps the design integrity of the clock, thus I will need to build my mirror around the numbers.
I don’t anticipate failure in the overall project, my design will have to undergo iterations if I cannot set it up exactly like I originally planned but if one of these areas fails, the whole project won’t fail.
All the items necessary for this project have already been purchased with the exception of 9V batteries to power the lights. I will only purchase these once all other areas are successful and if there is enough time to rewire the lights to the battery pack. The items I already have and their costs are listed below:
- 12” analog clock – $25.00
- Roll of reflective film – $32.16
- LED light strip with electrical components – $30.99
- Total: $88.15
- Estimated additional costs: $10-$15
With the convince of having all the necessary material already in hand, this will significantly improve my timeline. I am expecting building the mirror on the clock face to take me a week and a half in order to ensure precision and a clean finish. The wiring and electrical work will take two weeks. However, this cannot be done concurrently with building the mirror since it will require working directly on the face of the clock. Additional time will be spent (roughly a week) attaching the LED strip to the inner rim of the clock, and securing the electrical system to the back of the clock. I will be out of town for spring break so the projected date to have 85% of the project completed is at the earliest Spring break, and at the latest, April 3rd. The rest of the time will be spent finalizing the design and adding any desired/necessary finishing touches to the clock mirror.
https://vimeo.com/158224508
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Sweet. I really think that this will be a challenging project but a really good one. I like the idea that it isn’t just stagnate but changes with music. What happens when there is no music?
I love this idea and can’t wait to see how it turns out! I definitely think you should make it wireless.
Just a few ideas to kick around for you, I think losing the numbers in favor of the small round mirrors is the best idea for a tidy well finished look as well it feels more infinite by not labeling the sections with numbers. In hiding the wiring you could build up the backing of the clock, 3d printed ring or something to allow more room behind the face, also giving a bit more depth to the piece. Removing the electrical adapter should be pretty straight forward if your still planning on battery power, it may just be an AC rectifier that is not needed if running DC power. Other than that the piece looks solid and shouldn’t give you that much issue in construction. Good luck!
Your design is coming along very nicely! The round frame helps create the sense of infinite space. I personally would forego the clock because I think it takes away some of the mystique. It goes from being this curious portal to another dimension, to a somewhat ordinary object. There is often the urge to augment a piece of art with some form of utility. But an object can facilitate an entirely unique experience when freed from its functional duties.
Perhaps another way to anchor this abstract portal in some form of familiarity could be to simply place the silhouette of some pop icon in the center (for example a garden gnome or skull). Then viewers could quickly relate to it but still fall wayward into their own imagination. Like, where is this gnome taking me? Again, it’s looking great. I’m just afraid that the clock face deters from an otherwise cosmic experience.
Someone in my office created one of these a few years back, and it is on display in the lobby area. I always thought that it was a really cool idea. In the past I had thought about making one into a table. Does the depth of the box control the spacing of the lights as they go into the mirror? Nice work getting ahead start on the project!
“Time is infinite” would be an sweet name for this project. Let me know if you’d like any help! Awesome.
I am really excited to see how this project turns out in the end. I like the theme of “time is infinite.” Neat idea, I can see you taking the aesthetic really far with this.