I found my tutorial really helpful this week. I wanted to see how I could create objects that could be used in an interior space, that relate to nests. I want to create something with a function and I have been finding it hard to research other designers that create furniture in the same form as nests.
Fiona suggested that I look at the Camparna Brothers, and I thought their work related really well to the finding form lecture Fiona had given us. The Camparna Brothers use repetitive forms to create or decorate solid structures such as chairs. The materials they use in their designs range from strips of fabric to cuddly toys.
Fiona also suggested that I look at Tokujin Yoshiaka, who uses interesting and innovative materials to create designs for chairs. I think that the ones I found most interesting was firstly where he grew a chair out of crystals. I have never seen anything grown out of crystals, so I found this design really interesting. He also designed a chair out of crumpled pieces of paper which I thought was very different but not entirely functional.
I have also found some designers of my own, such as Emily Pillston, who created a piece called The Human Nest. This piece was created by weaving and tying fabric around a bamboo chair. I thought the idea of a human nest was really interesting, however I thought it looked a bit too messy with all the different coloured fabric stretched out in different directions.
I have also looked at different designs that have originated from nests, and I have found a set of stairs in a house in France, that were inspired by the structure of a nest, a phone cover, the 2008 Beijing Olympic Stadium, and a range of chairs.
What I have noticed is that the materials used in the interior designs are usually the opposite to those found in a bird's nest. The materials used are fabric and metal, I have researched one by the Camparna Brothers that's made of wood, however the pieces of wood are cut into thin blocks and sanded so they look fairly unnatural themselves.
This will be because people don't want a messy looking piece of furniture in their homes, that's made out of found sticks and leaves from the outdoors. For my design, I am also going to use man made materials, to give a cleaner appearance, but also to experiment more with the idea of a human nest, made out of materials made by people.
I would, however live to stick to recycled materials because I feel this represents the idea of a nest more than shop bought fabrics.
