Aesthetic Inspiration
I have drawn aesthetic inspiration specifically from the artist, Rebecca Louise Law, and the movie, Midsommar.
For Rebecca Louise Law, I plan to incorporate her ideas of falling flowers. I specifically like it when she uses flowers that have not dried out too much and are still very vibrant. I also like the number of different flowers she uses. I will build off of her ideas by hanging fake flowers off of my floor-to-ceiling automata structure. When the user cranks the automata the flowers will move up and down, really emphasizing the falling motion.
Rebecca Louise Law Aesthetic [1]
Rebecca Louise Law Aesthetic [2]
For Midsommar, I love the use of extremely bright colors and different shapes in the flowers. On top of the floral aesthetic that plays through the movie, I also really appreciate the architectural aesthetic. The architectural aesthetic in Midsommar is focused on natural materials, specifically wood, with highly a highly painted and decorated finish. This will play a role in the wooden support structure of my automata. While I do not plan to highly decorate the wood, I think painting it white or a pale blue or pink would work really well with the brightly colored flowers.
Midsommar Aesthetic [3]
Midsommar Aesthetic [4]
Vision
A combination of an automaton and a mobile. The automaton will be floor-to-ceiling height, and about a square meter or two in area. The structure will be made from painted wood, while the crank and shaft will be made of a thick wire. The mobile structures will be made of fishing line and fake flowers. When the automaton is cranked the flower mobiles, which hang off of long strips of wood, will move up and down. The mobile structure will allow the flowers to move in a rotational way.
Automata Inspiration [5]
Mobile Inspiration [6]
Initial Sketch
Parts
Prototype
I decided to make a lo-fi prototype of my automaton to make sure that the engineering that I believed would work in my head, would work in practice. Due to the found materials and rapid creation of the prototype, it is not very sturdy and does not hold up super well, but it did prove my idea will work! I also now know the steps I need to take to make it work successfully on a much larger scale.
Materials Used:
- Cardboard
- Duck Tape
- Boba Straws
- String
- Scissors
- Exacto Knife
Proof of Concept
Next Steps
1. Buy Material –> 2×4 wood, screws, thick wire/metal dowels, fishing line, paint, and fake flowers
2. Start Building –> Use BTU/TBD chop saw, drills, sander, etc.
3. User Testing –> Make sure it is intuitive to interact with
Work Cited
[1] https://www.rebeccalouiselaw.com/artwork/beauty-decay-series-2
[2] https://www.rebeccalouiselaw.com/artwork/the-hated-flower-2
[3] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8772262/mediaviewer/rm1884590593
[4] https://www.frameweb.com/news/midsommar-production-design-henrik-svensson-interview
[5] https://i.pinimg.com/originals/ec/5f/8e/ec5f8e19087905a9a3142201fa2b2f6e.jpg
[6] https://www.guggenheim.org/artwork/745
5 Comments. Leave new
I really like how colorful and lively your project is! I think getting your inspiration from a movie you like is very smart. The dynamic of the project adds a great deal of creativity which I think you have done properly and in an enjoyable way. I know how hard it can be to achieve such a movement, but you seem you know what you are doing! Good luck with making it and hope to see it in action!
This is such a cool idea!! One design consideration I think is important for you to consider is the placement of the crank for operating the device. Ideally, it’ll be placed such that the operator has an optimal viewing angle while cranking, so the user can also fully enjoy the experience. This could be easily overlooked as one would naturally place the crank at the end of the shaft, which would be perpendicular to the front viewing side
I think you bring up a very valid point, however, I am not sure I can change the location of the crank without changing my core concept of the engineering. To get an ideal view for all users involved, it might be best for me to motorize the crank so it rotates on its own.
I loved your prototype! I haven’t seen Midsommar, however, I think it is interesting to use this movie. I think you can definitely achieve the desired aesthetic that is shown in your photos. If I may, my only suggestion would be to make it small enough (or adjustable) that you can carry it and fit it through a standard doorway. I like the idea of designing it so the height is adjustable/foldable.
I think you bring up a really key size constraint (a doorway). I’ve been thinking more about how to achieve this constraint, but also get the impressive size I want to achieve. I think making something foldable or adjustable might make the fabrication and design of the automaton very complicated. However, I can see it being able to be taken apart and assembled very easily.