Saturday, February 18, 2006

Modular grid deconstruction via chance operation



It may seem like it is a random three- dimensional effect with spaces, texts, and images but it is built on a master grid that contributes to its intuitive organic quality. This project was completed for a exhibit entitled "Universal/Unique." The focus of the exhibit was the relationship between structure and freedom in design and the exhibitors were asked to submit work using predetermined kernel elements in mind: grid, the word "word", and the image of an eye. A modular grid within a square format was set up by the designer using the horizontal, vertical, and isometric (45˚) axes, and then systematized to each of the kernel elements, plus excerpts from the design process like essays, photographs that would interact with the grid as well. The master eye grid directs the segments' placement from page to page, by employing a triangular dissection based on this master grid. On one side of the spread the excerpted texts, all refer to the idea of universality, which come into juxtaposition with the opposing concept of uniqueness when the pages are cut and folded together.

Because of its structure, the grid forces the deconstruction, the material ends up doing whatever it will because it is made to conform to the predetermined criteria. Upon closer inspection, the result is a college of texture, shadow, light and type that reveals a hidden order.

Chance operation and deconstruction is a interesting methodology to employ to you projects to get unpredicted results. These unpredicted outcomes should be a result of a predetermined methods. Predetermined methods being the systemization of the elements used and formated within a structure.

2 comments:

Courtney said...

I recognized the little numbers on the side of the page to be from our Making and Breaking the Grid book, and i wanted to see if there was anything more to these designs. I saw in the beginning of the section that it talks about chance operation. I am fond of this type of methodology because like the book describs, "The unpredictable results, however, can often aid in communication from a conceptual standpoint by bringing out juxtapositions of material that might otherwise have escaped notice." There are so many possibilities when designing, that this infinite variable is what often makes me feel overwhelmed when beginning a new project because i simply do not know where to start. But I like how when you leave things up to chance (to a certain degree), then it often becomes so much easier to start because you just do it without having to spend so much brain-power, and you are given a multitude of possiblities that can spring off in different directions that you would most likely not have thought about on your own. I like that this is like a controlled type of randomness. This is a method that i find is a good starting point.

ashleep said...

When I look in the "Making and Breaking the Grid" book, I am always amazed at how the grid looks in comparison to how the finished products look. Like the grid in your post, the grids seem so structured and constraining, but the finished products look so free and they have flow. Also, just one grid can be the skeleton for such a variety of designs.

As for the artwork in your post, I think that they are very visually interesting. They really capture my attention even though they do not contain any other colors except black and white. The artists really know how to push the boundaries of the grid. However, like Carly said, "the average person would look at this work and think it looks nice, but they wouldnt know why." I feel this way too. It looks interesting, but it is difficult to determine what it is supposed to be communicating.