Large Assignment #2 Astrid

Vessel #1

My first vessel I chose to work off of the base code that we wrote in class. I wanted to try and create a class ceramic vessel shape but with a twist, literally. I looked for inspiration in my camera roll and I found this photo of a Qing Dynasty Chinese vase from when I visited the NYMet. I loosely based my design on this shape, taking inspiration from the long neck/spout and the rounded main body. I added a fourth radius to create the extended spout. This print took 2 hours and 59 minutes with a 10% infill.

I thought of experimenting with branching for this vase, but ultimately decided not to. This progress picture is what I sent to my friend telling her I could hang out now because I figured if it had not collapsed at this point, it should be alright (and I was correct!).

Vessel #2

For my second vessel I took inspiration from my own ceramic work. I love creating the bubble-like shapes when throwing, so I decided to create a 3D printed sister for this vase that sits on my kitchen table. I want to try and print a lid for this vessel as well, which is why I ended up opting for the longer neck. I felt that it would aesthetically better suit a lid on top. I added three more radii to create this shape. This print took 3 hours and 14 minutes.

Vessel #3

For this vessel I decided to play around in grasshopper until I found a shape I liked. Because my other two vessels had skinny/narrow tops, I knew I wanted to try something with a wide mouth. I experimented with the triangle gear parameters and I made a shape that reminds me of a pumpkin. This print took significantly longer than my other two, at 10 hours and 17 minutes.

Design Process Reflection

Overall I enjoyed creating these parametric vessels. I have never created anything in a design process like this, so it was certainly a learning experience for me. I remember when I took my first printmaking class my professor emphasized that printmaking was a 2-1 creation process. In the design process for 2-1 creation, there is no immediate feedback of what you are creating and how it looks, versus say drawing. Another example of this would be ceramics, and now I would add in 3d printing as well. No matter how accurate the rendering is in Rhino or Cura, seeing the prints in person is seeing something completely new. I enjoy seeing this as it is a big reveal and makes me feel proud, but also I am able to see the errors that cannot easily be fixed.

I liked the easy manipulation that the code allowed. By just increasing one ‘n’ parameter you have an entirely new shape. However, I do feel like the bugginess and slow loading of Grasshopper discouraged me a bit at times. Because my coding isn’t the strongest, I think it actually would have been faster for me to make my vessels manually in Rhino.

Creative Agency Reflection

Coming from an art background, my approach to this assignment was an artistic one, and I immediately had ideas of what I would want to create. My ceramics background especially inspired what I chose to design due to my familiarity of making shapes in a similar family. A lot of my art is very loose and asymmetrical, so this was a big switch from how I would approach making a vessel if prompted to me in any other creative environment. I enjoyed playing around with the shapes and seeing what I could make, but I did opt to take inspiration from ceramics pieces. However, my final print was just experimenting, and I think it is my favorite out of the bunch.

I felt limited by my coding capabilities and that got frustrating after a bit. Although I haven’t made any yet, I really want to experiment with making a lid for my vessel, which I am going to make in Rhino to have a little more creative freedom. Last note, I really wish I chose a different filament color, the blue is starting to bug.