Class 3 Project
Assignment: Build a custom physical tool and use it towards the creation of three artworks/products. Write a paragraph about how the tool modified your usual creative process and final result.
For next Thursday:
a) Bring the tool and all three works to class.
b) Document both the tool and the works on your site, using photographs and/or a QT movie.
Restrictions: You cannot use a computer for the tool and artwork.
For this project, I used a plastic soda bottle as a paintbrush. The idea was to poke holes in the bottle and spin it overtop of paper to create a spiral pattern. I mixed watercolor paint in a plastic container, poured the paint into the bottle, and then attempted to paint.
With the first cut, I noticed that the paint was merely dropping out of the bottle, so I made much larger cuts. I wasn't sure if it was the water pressure or the cut, but I was not getting the effect I was looking for. Therefore, I took another bottle and made X-like incisions on opposite ends of the bottle. This provided me with the spiral effect I was seeking, but also gave me less control.
In the end, I wanted more control over the paint, so I drilled a hole into the bottle cap. This allowed me to squirt the paint out.
Overall, the choice of watercolor made it extremely difficult for me to get the saturated color I wanted. I tried mixing less water, but that didn't provide the pressure needed to push out of the bottle. In the last two paintings, I tried painting wet on dry. I also tried experimenting with sitting the canvas upright. In the end, the paintings looked like diluted Jackson Pollock works. The mixture of colors certainly made for a much more interesting effect, but, ultimately, I did not get the spiral pattern I envisioned.
I'd say the number one thing that made this remind me of programming is how accidents can lead to more interesting results than those originally sought.