The core of the inspiration for my project comes from my own desire to create sculptural objects that serve a utility but are not ideal for that utility. Their sculptural forms are the largest consideration, but they inform the utility as well.

The utility is better served with something similar to an advent calendar or even just a desktop calendar, but novelty is key here. As a former magician who spent a great deal of time in joke shops growing up, I have collected many useless items that serve some novelty function. The majority of them serve as amusement for the purchaser at the expense of an innocent bystander (a golf ball that explodes on impact with the club or rolls uneven on the green). Others serve a utility but only by chance, as they are made to be ridiculous in size, shape, or function (a comb that is unnecessarily large).

As for form, I am inspired by bridge design (arches with structural support cables) and the brachistochrone, a cycloid curve with unique properties created by tracing the point on a wheel as it rolls along a flat surface. I won’t be able to perfectly replicate this in my project, but I attempted it given the material properties of my design components.

http://whistleralley.com/brachistochrone/brachistochrone.htm