Interaction and Motion

Rochester Institute of Technology

RIT Scholar Works

Theses

Thesis/Dissertation Collections

2004

Interaction and Motion

Reagan Furqueron

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Recommended Citation

Rochester Institute

of

Technology

A Thesis

submitted to the

faculty

of

The

College

of

Imaging

Arts

and

Sciences in

Candidacy

for

the

degree

of

Masters

of

Fine Arts.

Interaction

and

Motion

By

Reagan Furqueron

Approvals

Chief Advisor: Andy Buck

Associate Advisor: Roberley Bell

As

s

ociate Advisor: Richard Tannen

A

s

soci

a

te Advisor:Leonard Urso

C

hairperson: Michael Rogers

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Reagan Furqueron

,

hereby grant pennission to the Wallace Library of the

Rochester Institute of Technology to reproduce my thesis in whole or in patio

Any reproduction will not be for commercial use or profit.

Index

1

.

Thesis Statement

2.

Interaction

-

Emotional

_and

Physical

3. Formulation

of

Ideas

4.

Goals

and

Objectives

5.

Influences

1. Tom Loeser

2. Emi Ozawa

3. Allen Wexler

4. Rube

Goldberg

6.

Body

of

Work

1.

Rolling

Table 1

2.Rolling

Table 2 3.

Rolling

Side Table

4.Wall Wheel Box

5. Wall Box 2

6.Wall Box 3

7.

Conclusion

8. Plates

Interaction

and

Motion

Thesis Statement

The purpose of this thesis is to explore the possibilities and opportunities that

occur when the element of movement is included in the design of functional objects.

There is aninherent quality ofinteraction in functional objects; _mygoal isto enhancethis

relationship between object and user. Through this I will pursue the investigation of

portability asit applies to objects in domestic settings.

By incorporating

elements such as

handles,

wheels and other hardware that suggests movement, I will make functional

objects that _{invite interaction resulting in} motion.

Likewise,

by introducing

_motion, I

hope to furtherencourageinteraction. These hand-powered pieces will bemade of_wood,

metal and found objects, finished with a _variety of surface treatments. With this new

body

of work, I am committed to the gestural qualities that have become

increasingly

presentin my previousdesign work.

Interaction-

Emotional

_and

Physical

For this thesis I am

defining

interaction in _{two ways, emotionally} and physically.

The emotional is wrapped in the presence of the piece while the physical is how we

interact throughmotion.

Working

_{simultaneously in my} work, thesequalities will lurethe

Theemotional interaction is triggered

by

the visual _vocabulary ofthe work. This

vocabulary bases itselfon color, whimsical gesture, shaping and the addition of wheels

and handles. The look and color ofthis work is unusual for functional objects and has

connections withtoys andplaythings. It isthat association which bringstheviewer in

tocloserexaminethepiece andto_{potentially interact}withthework.

The physical interaction is basedon real motion and deals with the _maneuvering

of carts and other wheeled objects as well as _opening and_closing ofdoors and drawers.

This interaction is represented

differently

in each piece. For instance some ofthe pieces

act as carts, actually replacing some ofthe users effort, while others have less obvious

and unusual interaction allowing the user to access the function of the piece. These

elements of movement further enforce interaction

by

_giving visual clues to thefunction

ofthepieces.

Formulation

of

Ideas

In my search foranswers, Iwas drawn to twointerrelateddirections. The firstwas

adding obviousmoveableand_{physically interactive}elements toobjects such as wheels

and handles. Thisapproach is basedon real movement and utility. The seconddirection

wasto use thesesame elements toenhancethe_existingmovements we encounter and

create inour _relationshipwith_objects, thatisthe_opening and_closingofdoors and

drawers,

etc.

I began

by

_{referencing hand}powered_utility vehicles such as carts andthe

emotional responsewehavetothem.

My

thoughtswerethat thesepiecesbe basedonreal

themethod of_movingand_steering of_{the object, in many}cases wheels and handles. Both

wheel andhandle holdan emotional response, themere sight of a wheel suggests

movement asthe handlesuggestsutility. This wouldbetheconcept Iwouldbegin the

work with.

These ideas stemmedfroma statement

by

EdwardLucie-

Smith,

which helped

reinforce theideaof_portabilityand change.

"

Thewhole notion _ofthedomestic interiorassceneryfora_play which we

make _upas we goalong, andthereforepiecesoffurniture as components in a

constantly shiftingand_capriciouslyalteredthree dimensionalcollage... "'

This helpedme beginto define howour_{changing lives} are affected

by

ourdomestic

surroundingsand vice versa.

Having

theconvenience toalter our environment with ease

as ourlives or emotions change wouldfit intothis theme. I began

by

_addingelements of

movement and handlesto _myworkthus _reinforcingthis ideamore clearly.

After exploringthis direction intwoactual _pieces, Icame toseethat_my

approach was _merely

being

addedto

furniture,

not

fully

integratedwithin theconcept.

Because ofthese variedlevels of_{success, I began exploring}some ofthenatural

interactions we arealways

having

with furniture-_opening

doors,

_pullingout

drawers,

etc.

By

addingelements of movement andhandlesto highlightthis natural

interaction,

it

could reconfigurehow we_{actually interact} withfurniture. I furtheredthis

by

_questioning

the ways weaccess, approach, or engagetheseobjects. Ialsothoughtofdifferentways to

view furniture inourenvironment. What ifthe pieces, through movement, created a

presence

by

_activatingthearea aroundthem? Theadditionof movement wouldhighlight

this _relationshipandenhancethe lureto explorethe work.

Goals

and

Objectives

Throughout my investigation I have been strivingnot_only toenhanceinteraction

and motionbut alsoto addressmultiple issues regarding myprocess. Issues ranging from

mystyle and the_{way I} workcameto lightas

finally

_needing attention.Whilethe success

ofthese _underlyingobjectives_varied, Ithought themimportantto strivefor inthis

endeavor.

My

main issue has beento buildthis

body

of workin a stylethat is

representational ofthe character of_mysketches. While pursuing this objective, Iwanted

to make pieces thatwere cohesivein_{craftsmanship,}function and finish. This sketching

styleis basedonthe visual _{vocabulary I have been}

developing

in my designprocess for

sometime. Itcanbe described as gestural and animated and as stated, relies

heavily

on

color and shaping. Mostoftheworkinthisstyle has lightnessto

it,

a

leggy

feeling,

something thefinal workfailedtoconvey. _{This sketching}approach takes _{nothing into}

consideration

during

theprocess and allows metocome _upwith ideas unedited and

without regardto theirsuccess. It wasthis _qualitythatwas

being

designedout ofthe

piece

during

the technical

drawing

stage.

By

_eliminatingtechnical drawingsand

approachingthematerialin alooserway,I attemptedtocapturethislighterstyle in the

finalpiece.

Thoughthe decisionto addressthisissue was made, itwas not an_easy oneto

issues

dealing

with _mymaterial of_choice,wood, fueledthesefears. Since I was

literally

sketching withthe material aswell as_workingwithlittleor no_preplanning,thesepieces

came to _{be physically} at risk.Itwas _onlythrough this riskthat the character was

captured.

Along

with_embracingthis_{sketching vocabulary} through shaping, thecolor would

also enhance this lightercharacter. _{I had been using}paintand otherpigments in my

previouswork andfelt itan appropriate solutionforthisendeavor. Whilealsoin the

sketching stage, Iwouldbegintoadd colorto the

drawings, translating

this intothe final

piece.

By

_usingcolorinthis way,itwould not_onlyenhance a work's animated character

but alsodraw an emotive response.

By

_{using graphically} applied color and pattern,Iwas

able tohighlightthe_undulating surfaces, thusenhancingthe work intothe character style

Isought.

While objectives thatdeal withthework/process were

important,

others were

critical to the success of_mypersonal struggleas an artist. Asan object_maker,I have had

problems

during

the

building

_process, a start/stall method of working. This has caused

problems inthepastandhas been carriedintothis thesis process. I felt ittime to

fully

examinethe sourceofthis problemandbegintoinstill some healthier working habits.

In seekingto _modifymy

building

process, I beganto create exploded

drawings,

whichhelpedme visualizetheparts_{necessary for}completion ofthepieces. This allowed

meto schedulethesteps of

building,

breaking

downtheconstruction into separate

categories suchas milling,jointcutting, assemblyandfinish. Iwas then abletofocus on

makingthismethod change apriority,I am

beginning

to

develop

ways of_solvingthis

problem,thus _{slowly affectingmy}

building

process ina positive way.

Influences

Whilethereis an obviousconnection tohandpowered_utility vehicles, other

artists who exploretheconcepts of movementalso influence my work. Each offurniture

makers, sculptors and_{illustrators has informed my}work

differently

through method and

conceptual approach.

By

_examiningthestrengths and weaknesses oftheir approaches, I

was ableto_{formalize my} own _vocabularyto workthrough thisprocess.

Tom Loeser

Theworkoffurnituremaker_{Tom Loeser has been influential in my development}

ofideas anddirection. Themaininspiration lies with his Roller Series (plate1 ). These

blanketchests, inwhich thechest rolls out andthe lidstays _stationary are

fascinating

to

me on severallevels.

First,

Loeser'swork "... is adrasticalteration _ofafamiliarform

thatasks us toreconsiderthatformsusual properties. "2

He has taken ahistorical furniture formand rethoughtit. Fromthis idea Itoo have begun

to reexamine not _onlyobjects,butalso howwe approach and get intothem. Examples of

thisare seen in WallWheelBox (plate

2)

and Wall Box 2 (plate 3).

By

_{reconfiguring how}

we open these

boxes,

inthis case_{pushing up}ahandleor_rolling a lid down awall, Iam

forcing

the viewerto also rethinkthe interaction.

2

Next is Loeser'suse ofmovementtoperform this task. He is not_{only activating}

thepiecebut alsothearea aroundit.

[His]

work suggests adiscontentmentwith the

passive role _ofa standard wall-boundblanketchest. "J

Throughpieces like

Rolling

Table! (plate

4)

and

Rolling

Side Table (plate

5),

Itoohave activated, theobject andthe

environmentaroundit. The 360- _{degreepivot action of}

Rolling

Table I is_restricted, but

still definesthe spaceit occupiesthroughmotion. In

Rolling

Side Tabletheuser

maneuversthepieceto the desired location and wheelsoutthe

drawer,

_activatingthe

piece andthe area around it.

Finally

Loeseruses colorto _visuallyactivate and add a sense of_play and emotion

tohis work. "Color isemployed as well, toconjure_upamoodand suggest

associations. "4

Thiscan alsobe seenthroughout _my work and has attachmentsto the

emotional contentofthis thesis.

This,

coupledwiththe intrigueof motion is akin to

Loeser's work.Like Loeser'sviewers, I want_myviewerstorespond to_my work through

acts of_curiosity andintrigue.

Emi Ozawa

Theideas andinfluence ofEmi Ozawacan alsobe seenthroughoutthis

body

of

work. "Throughattractive colors and_movingparts

[Emi]

suggestsplayandevokes

curiosity. She invitesyouto _enjoyherworkthroughhandson

participation-opening

doorsor

drawers,

_turning

latches,

folding

and_unfolding

panels."*

Like

Loeser,

herwork

beginsto questionthe _verynatureofhowwe accessfunctional objects. She deals with

3

Forsyth, Amy,FunctionallyChallenged, Wisconsin:_UniversityofWisconsininOshkosh, 2001,pg.

4

Forsyth, Amy,FunctionallyChallenged, Wisconsin:_UniversityofWisconsininOshkosh,2001. 5

this

by

_adding wheeleditems thatroll downtoopen

doors,

orthemovement of a leverto

activate the functioninapiece (plate 6,7). It isthissense of_curiositythatI seekto

awaken _{in my} own work. Ifeelthisisachievedmost _{strongly in}the wall box series.

Thesetoy-likeboxesarethe most_welcomingof_myworkand act to

bring

viewersin for

acloserlook.

Ozawa's use of colorfinalizes theemotional qualities of_play and_curiosityshe is

after in herwork. Thisemotional connectiontocoloris alsofound withinthe visual

vocabulary of_mywork. _{Her graphically}applied color _schemes,much likemine, arethe

first

thing

thatbrings peopleinto thework and are also whatbrings thepiecetogether.

Allen Wexler

By

challengingthe static natureofimmobileobjects, Allen Wexler has offered

inspiration in thearea ofmovement andportability. Hisapproach isachievedthrough the

addition of physical movementto objects, addressingour needtoadjust and control our

surroundings.In The Mattress

Factory

Gallery

Residence (plate

8)

Wexlerdemonstrates

this

theory

_using an adjustable

living

room-_bedroom

scenario.

By

_rolling thebed/sofa

through awall,which separates_{the two spaces,} residentscan create a_variety of_sitting or

sleeping arrangements asthemood or_necessity seesfit.

Iuse a similar approach in

Rolling

Table 2 (plate

9)

and

Rolling

Side Table

enhancingtheportabilityofthe standardtableunit.Withthe addition ofwheels, these

tables can nowbe rearranged with easeasthe need or environment calls on themto. This

only forconvenienceof movementbut alsothe methodtoaccess thedrawer. Through

these examples,I havesoughtto _convey someofWexlersconcepts within _my own work.

Rube

Goldberg

The illustrated themes ofRube Goldberg's illustrations are ones I am influenced

by

to achieve an elementofsurprisein mywork. In Goldberg'swork he depicts

fairly

simple tasks

being

executedthrough multiplebizarresteps.In Professor

Butts,

_takinghis

morning exercisekicks

himself

inthenoseand sees a simple _{idea for cooling} a plate_of

soup (plate

10)

thetaskof_cooling a plate of_{soup is finalized}throughfifteen steps. It is

notthatI want so _manysteps in theinteractionof_my work, buttoevoke humorin

figuring

out and_usingofthepiece.

I see _manyof_mypieces

bordering

on objects of_playand thinkthatbrings forth

the curious natureof evenhow tointeractwith them. Goldberg'sthemes holdtrue to

pieces like

Rolling

Side Table and Wall Box

2;

piecesthatquestion how we access

furniture. I liketheaspects of

being

_visuallycurious aboutthe pieces, approachingthem

to seethe mechanics and

figuring

outhow touseor getintotheobject.

During

theshow

as I watchedthe surpriseof people

interacting

with_my work, I didnot view fifteen steps,

but I didsee areexaminationofhow

they

interact withthepieces.

Body

of

Work

Through_my workI intendedtoblendthesestated

ideas,

goalsand inspirations

similarities inthe strengths and weaknesses andhowthework evolved.

Using

this

approachI was ableto_physically and_{critically describe}thework.

A natural evolution occurredinregardto issueswithin each piece basedonthe

needs ofthe_previously made pieces. Thoughthis evolution was an activeprocess, Istill

constantly addressed certain issueswhileothersremained unchallenged. Decisionsto

makethe work_conceptuallyand_visually

interesting

_continuallycaused problems inthe

areas of

function,

mechanics and material choice.

Rolling

Table

1

poplar, milk paint

34" x

19"x35"

Rolling

Table 1 was _{my first}attemptat_combiningmotion and interaction intoa

piece offurniture. Thetable consistsoftwowheeledlegs that_visually grow down and

outofthe topsorganic shape. Athirdelement _{coming down from} the

top

is the

base,

which acts as bothpivot and stabilizer. The base supportis sectioned, allowinga pivot

insertto act asthe movementforthepiece. Extruded fromthe

top

is anover- _exaggerated

handlethat,

by

its smooth formand surfacetreatment, askstobeengaged. Thepieceis

painted with

blue,

black and whitemilkpaint. Thepaint and pattern are _graphically

applied and_alongwith thevarious incised lines wrapthe piece, accentuating theorganic

form.

Using

acart-like vocabulary,it was_{my intent}toinstill a sense of_portabilitywhile

luring

theuserinwiththe over accentuatedhandle.

The conceptforthispiece reflects restricted movement. The table isconfinedtoa

two _sources,Tom Loeser's Roller Seriesand an architectural _study

by

Allen

Wexler6,

both ofwhich deal withconfinement and repetition of movement. Loeser'spieces can

only pivotin a circle and

Wexler'

s _{study documents}therestrictive movements of our

interaction ofchairs.

Rolling

Table 1 dealswith theseissues

by

"reversfingf

the static

nature"7

of

tables and documentsthis new movement.

By

_creating atable that moves in acircleI am

giving motion toa _{normally stationary}object.The recording ofthatmovementis

accomplished

by leaving

circular marks and grooves onthefloor.

Thoughtheconcept ofthis table is

interesting

other aspects suffer. Though

produced withouttechnical

drawings,

thecharacter is still toostatic when examined

againstthe sketchbook. Woodwas an appropriate choiceforthisprojectbut itcouldhave

beenpushed furtherto

help

betterrevealthecharacter.

Themechanics ofthispiecealso fallshortof_myexpectations. Thoughpeople do

approach andtouch _{the work,}

they

are_rarelyencouraged towheel itaround. If indeed it

doesinspire them to

interact,

the mechanics ofthepiece are awkward andthe action is

failing. Despite theresearch and use ofbearingsthe wheels are not sophisticated enough

to work_{correctly, left only}tobe feet for the table.

Finally,

I alsorecognizethepainted surface doesnotdoenough toenhancethe

concept. Thoughthis finishaccentuates the piece,it seemsan afterthoughtandthough

not

inappropriate,

it doesnot complementtheform. Whilethis piece is riddled with

aesthetic andtechnical problems, the ideadoes meritfurther investigation as it leavesme

with much information and experienceto drawupon.

''

Galfetti,GustavGili,ed.,AllenWexler.trans.Gloria Bohigas: _Grup3. 1998._pg 14.

7

Rolling

Table 2

mahogany, milk paint

37" x

23"

x

34"

Again usingthecart as _reference,

Rolling

Table 2 furtherexplores howwe

interactwithfurniturethroughportability.

Reacting

to theissues ofthefirstpiece, I

soughtto havethistableovercomethose weaknesses.

By

_pushingthe_shaping ofthe

materialI beganto seetheessence ofthe sketchbook appearin thework. I alsobegan to

work on the_{maneuverability} of_{this piece,}butfoundthat this pursuitbegantoconflict

with theaesthetic areasofthework.

This quirky pieceisorganic informand reflects visuals of plant life. Thecolor

scheme of

lime,

salmonandbluealso reinforce this aesthetic. Itconsists offour legs that

terminate to wheels, threeofthem

by

_way offorks. The fourth ends with adoublewheel

isolating

it asthe method of steering._{The tabletop,} also organic in form has small handles

that appeartogrow out ofthelegs

by

_wayof recessed areas. The largestofthesehandles

acts as a _steeringelementto the

leg

thathouses the doublewheel.

The design ofthis table emergedas a_servingcartto _{be easily}maneuverable, but this, alongwith_{portability fail. Though} thewheels_visuallyreinforce the concept, the

idea is questionedbecause

they

do notfunction properly dueto the legs instability. I

began tofindthat

by

_pushing the aestheticsthefunction was compromised.

By

trying

to

shape thin

legs,

Inegatedtheease atwhichthepiece could roll.

Though formandfunction are_conflicting, Isee this as a more successfuldesign than thepreviouspiece.

By

_capturingtheessence ofthe sketch,I felt it was amajor

breakthrough. ThroughthispieceIam

beginning

toreveal_my own aesthetic,but for itto

be

fully

_realized, material researchis inorder.

Rolling

Side Table

mahogany, white _oak, milk paint

16"

x

13"x25"

Unhappy

with _manyoftheaspects ofthefirsttwo pieces,

Rolling

Side Table

ventures offintoanother and more successful direction. I havecontinued with a cart

vocabulary but have incorporatedthemovement intothe_way we engage

furniture-through the handle. Themovement ofthepieceis now connected within the_portability

and

functionality

ofthetable.

Rolling

Side Tableisa small tablewith adrawer andispainted_red,purple and

yellow. Itconsists of an organic _{drawer cavity} and smallhandles_growing out offour

spindly legsthat endinwheels on thefloor. The drawer face is attachedtothefront

leg

thatextendsdown from a small handle toa singleforkedwheel. Thispiece'smovement

is usedfor both _portabilityand access to thedrawercase.

The drawercaseis squeezedinthemiddleto addto its whimsical style. This

style, _alongwiththecoloris consistent withthe

feeling

ofthe sketches.

Along

with this

success, the action ofthe drawerandfrontwheel work welltogether, butthemechanics

dealing

withthe_portability stillhas notbeenresolved.

Theconceptual move to thispiecewas a good one andis an ideaworth_pursuing

forsometime.This table also takes the_{inherent quality} ofinteraction in adrawer and

Though it

does,

in some_ways,fallshort_{mechanically, this} revised conceptbegins to

challenge the thesis statementin a moresuccessful way.

Wall Wheel Box

mahogany, milk paint

12"

x

3.5"

x

3",

5' x

6"

overall

height

Realizing

thesuccess of

Rolling

Side

Table,

I had already begun toformalize

designs forthe finalthree pieces, a series of wallboxes. I seethisseries as a_{scaling down}

ofparts,

focusing

more onthehandle andinteraction andlesson themechanics explored

in thefirst tables.Thoughtheseboxes wereconceived atone time,_{my decision} tostart

with Wall Wheel Boxwas_merelytheresult of personal interest.

Wall Wheel Boxconsistsof a narrow wall

box,

whichthedoorslides downward

by

means of a

long

handlethat terminates to a wheel.When thebox is intheclosed

position, the wheel hangsabovethe ground.

Opening

the

door,

by

_rollingthe wheel down

the wall, activatesthebox. This isnot_{only engaging}movementforthe user,butalso

activatingtheroomthebox occupies.

The wholenotion ofthispiecequestionsthe_way we interactwith furniture. It

first doesthis

by

_changingthe motionofthe

door,

whichis adownward pull,andthen

by

presenting a

long

handlewiththe wheel, a new method of_{getting into} abox. Thesurface

treatment has atightcheckerboard pattern of green and white with blue andyellow

accents, this _alongwith thefeel ofthesurface are _alluringand ask tobe interactedwith.

The factthatthe patternis continued insidealso givesthe viewerfurtherenticementto

explorethepiece.

The idea behindthispiece, whichI feel isthe most successful ofthe show, arises

fromthe _{way it}pushesthelimitsoffunctional objects. Though itfunctions as a

box,

its

real _{meaning lies in}themotion _necessaryto getintothepiece. _{While watching}people

interactwiththis piece

during

_{the show,}I felt itencompassed all the thingsI was afterin

this

body

ofwork.It luredviewers inthrough curiosity,encouragedthem toputthe

objectinto_action, which was accompanied

by

mechanicsthatworked.

Wall Box 2

mahogany, milkpaint

3.5"

x

3.5"

x

3"

Continuing

withtheexploration of movement within thesewall

boxes,

I beganto build Wall Box 2. This isa small box with a pivoteddoorand a

long

handle

hanging

down. Themovementispuppet-likeinthatit has a purposeful arm motion thatopens the

door

by

_{pushing up} onthehandle. Thiscauses thedoorto pivotin theupperlefthand

corner, openingthe door. Thecontainer isorganicinform and wrapped with a

checkerboard pattern ofblueandyellow, bordered

by

incised lines. The scale ofthe

elementsto each other and surfacetreatments arereasons _why this box is sosuccessful.

Wall Box2 has an _array of successesinconcept andexecution, but I still consider

thatits scale leansmore towards a_{study for}afullsizes piece ratherthan a piece in itself.

Ithink thispieceis gainingmomentumfromthelasttwopieces_regardingthesuccess of

concept. Though again thisbox has moretoy-like characteristicsthan that ofa piece of

furniture.Its abilityto maintainthe sketch_{quality is} great andthematerial choice works

well with thefunctionofthe work.

Wall

Box 3

mahogany, milk paint

6.5" x

6.5" x

4.5"

The final pieceinthis thesisprocess is Wall Box 3(plate11 ). Thiscontaineris

square with anoversized carvedhingeanda

long

handle. It hasan orange and purple

checkerboard patternthat_{highlights its undulating}character. Itspurpose wasto

accentuatetheelementof movementinherent inthehingeand draw theviewer in with

the

long

narrow handle.

As an objectthis wall box hasvisual

interest,

but does not speakthesame

languageasthe restofthe work,

leaving

itas theleastsuccessful oftheshow. Because of

the_way theseboxeswere

designed,

thefactthat this is thefinalpiece in theshow does

not_overlydistress _me;myconcern lies in thepiece itself. Thispiece is void of a concept

relating itto this thesis; thecheckerboard patternand _{its ability} tocapturethecharacter of

the sketch are _{its only links.}

As Ireflecton_{this piece,} Iam not

happy

thatitwas thefinal, especially afterthe

success ofthepreviouspieces. Iam_actuallyunsure _whythis box was evenconceived; it

feels morelikefiller thananything.Though I dorealizethatitwas not a wastedeffort,

thedisappointmentis in its

inability

to_comply withtherestofthework.

Conclusion

As I look backonthewhole ofthe thesisprocess,I see six pieces thathavea

variety ofstrengths and weaknesses.Thesearethe results ofthechoicesImade in the

conception and_makingoftheobjects. I seetherichness intheopportunitiesof_solving

problems inthe workas well asthedevelopment ofthestrongerideas. To begin toevolve

this work intoamore successful realm,I need toexaminethese strengths and weaknesses

dealing

withthe risks inthe process, aesthetic

decisions,

material choice and mechanical

elements.

The risksfaced in thisprocess werebothpersonal and_{aesthetically driven.}

Facing

thefears of personalstruggles and

developing

healthier waysto approach_myworkis at

theheart ofthis thesis. I feelabetterartist andpersonfor

having

struggledthrough it.

Decisions basedonthepursuit of a

building

style thatwould_ultimately cause other parts

ofthe worktofail were also_{very important}and weretheprice exactedto movefrom the

rather stagnant styleit had become.

Above all, stayingtrue to the lookand character of a piece was mostimportant.

Part ofthis was_choosingmaterialsthat arebestsuited toachievethese ideas. Ifeel in

most cases thematerial of wood was inappropriate forthis work, though _{I consciously}

continuedtouse it. The reason forthis was I didnotthinkIcould finish this work _{in my}

timelineifan elementof material research was addedto this process. Woodwas familiar

to me; Ifelt Icould manipulateit betterthanother materials atthis time. More

appropriate materials wouldfallwithintherealmof metals andplastics.

These,

coupled

with wood, wouldhold up to therigors that theseideas and character would put on a

material.To take theseideas toa moresuccessful

level,

it is_mygoal toresearch and

develop

newmaterialsthat would

help

theseconcepts functionproperly.

Anotherarea_needingsomefocus wasthekindofobjects I choseto make.As I

delt with a_variety of problems withthe_{tables, I had already begun}to designthe wall box

series. This was a retreattoan objectI had previously hadsome success with.

By

filtering

theconceptto a_{wall-hungobject,} I was _{shying away from}the areas ofthe tables that

neededthemostattention-_{thelegs. Iagreethismove was}

ignoring

those problems, but I

dothink it helpedme_{better clarify}this idea.

By

_examiningthis conceptin a simpler

form,

it helpedme solve_manyofthe issuesthatplaguedtheother pieces. Through this

moveIwas _successfully abletobalance aesthetics andfunction in the_making ofWall

Wheel Boxwhose attributes speaktrue to the thesis statement.

To me, theideas ofthis thesis weresolid and provocative.Though much oftheir

execution fellshort and in manycases

failed, they

all merit_{my further investigation. I}

feel thebiggest rewards resultedfrom theareas of workthatencompassed motion and

interaction attheirheart. Pieces like Wall Wheel Boxpushedtheboundaries ofboth

material andthe thesis statement. Thisprocess has bothchallenged and rewarded mein

my struggle to achieveit. I feel thefurther investigation ofboth ideaand material will

Plates

1. ThomasLoeser: Rollers

#1, #2,

#3,

2001

Adamson, Glenn,

Thomas Loeser:

Rollers,

Spinners and

Sliders,

New York: LeoKaplan

Modern,

2000.

2. Reagan Furqueron: Wall Wheel

Box,

2002

3. Reagan Furqueron: Wall Box

2,

2002

4. Reagan Furqueron:

Rolling

Table

1,

2002

5. Reagan

Furqueron,

Rolling

Side Table,2002

6. Emi Ozawa:

Rolling

Saucers

Kelsey, John,

Rick

Mastells,

ed.,FurnitureStudio: The Heartofthe

Functional

Arts,

Next

by

Russell

Baldon,

Hong

Kong: Free

Union,

1999.

7. EmiOzawa: Cubic Circus

Kelsey, John,

Rick

Mastells,

ed.,FurnitureStudio: The Heartofthe

FunctionalArts,Next

by

Russell

Baldon,

Hong

Kong: Free

Union,

1999.

8. Allen Wexler: Mattress

Factory

Gallery

Residence

Siersma, Betsy,

Allen Wexler:

Dining

Rooms andFurniture fortheTypical

House,

Amherst,

MA: The

University

ofMassachusetts

Press,

1983.

9. Reagan Furqueron:

Rolling

Table

2,

2002.

10. Rube Goldberg: Professor

Butts,

taking

his

morning

exercise, kicks

himself

in thenose andsees a simpleideafor

cooling

a plate _ofsoup.

Berry, Ian,

Chain

Reaction,

Germany: Williams Collegeof

Art,

2001.

Plate 1

i

1

1

1

|

t

n

tl

It

J*

1

r

1

.

i

Plate

2

Plate 3

Plate 4

Reagan Furqueron

Plate

5

Reagan Furqueron

Plate 6

Emi Ozawa

Plate 7

Emi Ozawa

Plate 8

Allen Wexler

Plate 9

Reagan Furqueron

ffconsKw_Butte,hakimoH16Mgmw,a<eH.

CUS.KiOMHIMSELFIM THB NOSE.WOSS.fiA

~"UMOEAKm. COOUMO A PLATS OF scop.

JWCABSMSSLYsom. OEMOFHOT CHIU

WHKSCALDS PET POHCUPiNSii

WHOKA1UMMQUILLSIMWuN.QoiLL* COME

,TMOUBHCAW* BOTTOM OWRAN0

CAUSES

gPlTO*TOJUMP AHO HIT SHELF U>.

pulls_STKwoMcAoie

e*LLew)-to

in-l^Swf**<J(*WCM SKILL* ANDUPSer,

2(*2r*oishebiMtothefloor.

^UTBBWFKi . LOVE-SICKaLLSt

e*rpTHw10Nasomeoneithsowmo JWNOO*T HIMRUNSW PBKJMTON TOP OF

W^tlniO WVWN MEMACHESTHE BOTTOM

*0 ETANO* PUFFINSIN_{FttCNT OF SOOF-M}

UNTILITmCOOLED. '",

r* """*=._iconic**.

Plate 10

Rube

Goldberg

Professor

butts,

Taking

his

morning

exercise,

kicks

himself

in

the nose and seesa simple

idea for cooling

aplate

Plate 11

Bibliography

1.

Adamson, Glenn,

ThomasLoeser: Rollers. Spinners andSliders. New York: Leo

Kaplan

Modern,

2000.

2.

Adamson,

Glenn,

Contemporary

StudioCase Furniture: The Inside

Story

Tom

Loeser,

Wisconsin:

University

ofWisconsin inMadison,2001.

3. Boyd, VirginiaT,

Contemporary

Studio Case Furniture: The Inside

Story

Emi

Ozawa, Wisconsin,

University

ofWisconsin in

Madison,

2001.

4.

Bachelard, Gaston,

The PoeticsofSpace. Boston: Beacon

Press,

1969.

5.

Berry, Ian,

Chain Reaction. Germany: Williams College of

Art,

2001.

6.

Forsyth, Amy,

Functionally

Challenged. Wisconsin:

University

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Oskosh,

2001.

7

Galfetti,

Gustav

Gili,

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Bohigas,

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Grap

3,

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Garrels, Gary,

Richard S.

Field,

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Works onPaper. San Francisco: San Francisco Museum ofModern

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R.,

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Kelsey, John,

Rick

Mastell,

_ed., Furniture Studio: The HeartoftheFunctional

Arts,Next

by

Russell

Baldon,

Hong

Kong: Free

Union,

1999.

1 1.

Kronenburg,

Robert,

Houses in Motion. London:

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Metcalf, Bruce,

"The Hand attheHeartofCraft'. American

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Aug/Sept

'00,

54-66

13. Rifkin,

Ned,

Sean Scully:

Twenty

Years 1976-1995.London: Thames and

Hudson, 1995.

14. Siersma,

Betsy,

Allen Wexler:

Dining

rooms and FurniturefortheTypicalHouse.

Amherst, MA.:The

University

ofMassachusetts

Press,

1989.

15.

Smith,

Edward

Lucie-,

Furniture: A Concise History. London: Thames and

1 6.

Souriav,

Paul,

The AestheticofMovement.

Amherst,

MA.: The

University

of

Massachusetts

Press,

1983.

17.

Verlag,

Never

Folkwang,

Allen Wexler: Structure for Reflection. IM Karl Ernst Osthaus- Museum

Hagen,

1993.