SDSU Template, Version 11.1

TWOFOLD: SPACE-SAVING FOLDING FURNITURE

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A Project

Presented to the

Faculty of

San Diego State University

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In Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree

Master of Fine Arts

Art

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Christy Oates

Spring 2015

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ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS

Twofold: Space-Saving Folding Furniture by Christy Oates Master of Fine Arts in Art San Diego State University, 2015

Twofold is an exhibition of work inspired by a need for space-saving furniture, manufacturing processes, daily routine, and origami. The pieces are designed as folding furniture objects to expand usability and aesthetics of a space by utilizing folding processes, thin profiles, and camouflage. Graphic themes of origami are used as pattern and an instructional guide for folding processes. The pieces are cut using a laser cutter and CNC router. Having access to these industrial tools has changed my entire perspective on making. It makes me think less about what I need the tools to do and more about what I can make the tools do for me. This project challenges preconceived notions of hand-machine relationships by traditional craft theorists. Twofold was exhibited in the Flor Y Canto Gallery, San Diego State University, December 5 through 10, 2009. Images of the exhibition are on file with the School of Art, Design, and Art History.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PAGE

ABSTRACT ...... iv LIST OF PLATES ...... vii LIST OF FIGURES ...... ix ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...... x CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ...... 1 2 CLASSIFICATION OF CRAFT ...... 3 Craft: A Brief History of the Past ...... 3 Craft: An Evaluation of the Present ...... 4 Craft: A Prediction of the Future ...... 7 3 INSPIRATION ...... 8 Machine Potential ...... 8 Jeroen Verhoeven...... 9 Michael Hosaluk ...... 9 Alan Wexler ...... 10 Andrea Zittel ...... 11 4 PROCESS ...... 12 Origami ...... 12 Walls, Camouflage, and Space Transition ...... 13 Graphics and Forms ...... 13 Manufacturing and Eco-Friendly Materials ...... 14 CAD/CAM and Prototypes ...... 15 Layers Upon Layers ...... 15 Hand Work ...... 17 5 TWOFOLD: THE WORK ...... 18 Crane Chair ...... 18 Mosquito Lamp ...... 18

Crab Desk and Frog Table ...... 19 Skyline Table ...... 20 6 CONCLUSION ...... 21 REFERENCES ...... 22 APPENDIX A FIGURES ...... 23 B PLATES ...... 30

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LIST OF PLATES

PAGE

Plate 1. Lily Sign: Plywood, Bungee Cord ...... 31 Plate 2. Lily Sign (open detail) ...... 32 Plate 3. Lily Sign (closed detail) ...... 33 Plate 4. Crane Chair: Plywood, Bungee Cord ...... 34 Plate 5. Crane Chair (transition detail)...... 35 Plate 6. Crane Chair (open detail) ...... 36 Plate 7. Crane Chair (reveal detail) ...... 37 Plate 8. Crane Chair (color application within engraved lines detail) ...... 38 Plate 9. Crane Chair (staining within engraved lines detail)...... 39 Plate 10. Mosquito Lamp: Plywood, Bungee Cord, Electronic Components ...... 40 Plate 11. Mosquito Lamp (lit detail) ...... 41 Plate 12. Mosquito Lamp (closed detail)...... 42 Plate 13. Mosquito Lamp (engraving detail) ...... 43 Plate 14. Mosquito Lamp (led and mirror detail) ...... 44 Plate 15. Mosquito Lamp (staining detail) ...... 45 Plate 16. Crab Desk: Plywood, Bungee Cord...... 46 Plate 17. Crab Desk (transition detail 1) ...... 47 Plate 18. Crab Desk (transition detail 2) ...... 48 Plate 19. Crab Desk (open detail) ...... 49 Plate 20. Crab Desk (in use detail) ...... 50 Plate 21. Frog Table: Plywood, Bungee Cord ...... 51 Plate 22. Frog Table (open detail) ...... 52 Plate 23. Skyline Table: Plywood, Bungee Cord ...... 53 Plate 24. Skyline Table (transition detail 1) ...... 54 Plate 25. Skyline Table (transition detail 2) ...... 55 Plate 26. Skyline Table (transition detail 3) ...... 56 Plate 27. Skyline Table (open detail)...... 57

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Plate 28. Skyline Table (staining and engraving detail) ...... 58 Plate 29. Skyline Table (depth detail) ...... 59 Plate 30. Crane Chair CAD Layout ...... 60 Plate 31. Mosquito Lamp CAD Layout ...... 61 Plate 32. Crab Desk CAD Layout ...... 62 Plate 33. Frog Table CAD Layout ...... 63 Plate 34. Skyline Table CAD Layout ...... 64 Plate 35. Metal Hinge CAD Layout ...... 65

LIST OF FIGURES

PAGE

Figure 1. Cinderella table...... 24 Figure 2. Bird vessel...... 25 Figure 3. Origami diagram...... 26 Figure 4. Vinyl milford...... 27 Figure 5. Wagon stations...... 28 Figure 6. A-Z management and maintenance unit...... 29

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Without Matthew Hebert’s CAD/CAM instruction and guidance, I would not have gone down the paths I took to get to this point. Thank to you for bringing a high dose of nerdiness to the program. You were my technological guide at every turning point. I would like to thank Wendy Maruyama for being the motive for coming to SDSU. You have always been an inspiration to me as a strong woman in the woodworking field. Your curiosity, determination, and sense of challenging the world around you have always been evident in your work. Thanks to both of you for your invaluable input; you were truly inspirational in the process. I appreciate your help in guiding me through the graduate program. I know I was a pain in the rear, but I could not have made this body of work without your guidance and support; my gratitude to both of you for your patience. I would never have gotten to grad school if it wasn’t for the persistent encouragement of my undergraduate professor, Dean Wilson – thanks for all the great late night conversations around the bonfire. My unfaltering sail in a sea of insanity was always Heather McCalla. Thanks for your shoulder, your hands, and your giggles. I have so much admiration for the rest of the SDSU faculty that helped me along the way, especially the alternate perspectives of Susan Merritt and Ramona Pérez. Thank for both for your valuable suggestions and your participation on my thesis committee. I’d also like to thank RMS Laser for letting me learn and play in your shop. You gave me the opportunity to make the thesis work and the tools and processes inspired me to do much more than I have with this body of work. A special thanks to Travis Brunkow, my human instruction manual, who taught me everything he knows about operating a laser cutting machine. And last, but certainly not least, I’d like to thank the SDSU janitor who brought a machine to suck up all the rain water in the gallery from the flood the night before my oral thesis presentation. I really could not have done it without you! You were a knight in shining armor that saved me from a moment of absolute and utter despair. I wish I could remember your name and thank you properly.

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

When we think of furniture, we generally envision chairs, tables, and case goods; all freestanding objects that might use a wall architecturally in their placement but do not mount on or otherwise rely on the wall structurally. Twofold challenges the more traditional role of furniture as well as fixed notions and methods of use through interaction. In each of these works, the traditional idea of table or chair has been altered: not only by tying the pieces to architectural structures but also presenting them as objects on display. Mounting these folding furniture pieces flat on the wall at viewer height encourages personal study in much the way we might explore a painting. It invites the viewer to discover the graphic metaphors, implied functions, and spatial references; it hints at – and begs for – interaction. As this body of work progressed from inspiration to hand-building paper models to design and construction, I was introduced to a whole new world of industrial machining possibilities. As I decided the best way to make these pieces was through laser cutting, I convinced a local machine shop exchange my time working three mornings a week for access to their machines. Being introduced to this environment and the machining processes completely changed the way I built objects, the way I designed them; it made process the most relevant aspect of the work. Because the construction relied heavily on CAD/CAM1, it also made me seriously question where this work fits regarding art, craft, and design. These pieces are designed and made for use. I do not classify them as production pieces, even though they are conceived with computer software and made with the aid of industrial machines; as such, they inherently lend themselves to be reproduced. However, the question of whether or not these pieces are considered craft is a debate to be explored. I am not alone in questioning the categorization of this kind of work. As computer software

1 Computer-aided design (CAD) is the use of computer systems to assist in the creation and modification of a design. Computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) is the implementation of CAD files and use of computer software to control tools and related machinery in the machining of work pieces.

2 and equipment advances and becomes more widespread, the definition of craft becomes blurred with design and manufacturing. Those of us who work within these parameters are now labeled as makers.

CHAPTER 2

CLASSIFICATION OF CRAFT

The word craft has long been synonymous with hand-made work, but with so many artists adopting technology into their process, it’s important to historically explore craftsman- technology partnerships as well as the relationship between art and prototype.

CRAFT: A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE PAST Woodworking is heavily steeped in tradition. Techniques are passed down from generation to generation. Woodworkers spend a great deal of time, energy, and love mastering the tools and materials. During the industrial revolution of the 18th century, those that worked solely with hand tools had a profound debate about the sawbench (table saw). They saw it as a threat to their trade; a threat to good work; a threat to themselves becoming obsolete. Of course there are still material purists who practice solely with hand tools, but most contemporary woodworkers could not imagine working without a table saw. Every traditional craft has gone through this evolution and new work that would not have been possible before has evolved because of it. In 1968, David Pye defined “workmanship of risk” as: …workmanship using any kind of technique or apparatus, in which the quality of the result is not predetermined, but depends on the judgment, dexterity, and care which the maker exercises as he works. (Pye, 1968) The idea is that the end result of the work is continuously at risk during the process of making, and any tool that removes the hand from direct contact with the object compromises the piece. The difference between the intent of the prototype/art object is informed by Pye’s philosophy. If the artist is only making one object, more care is used and the idea of art criticism more personal. Conversely, if a designer is making a prototype, they realize they will be making another, better object if this one does not meet their requirements – their audience is consumer criticism and their concerns are cost, speed of production, and quantity.

CRAFT: AN EVALUATION OF THE PRESENT The past decade has seen the word ‘craft’ decline in popularity in favor of the word ‘design’, especially in attracting students to academic programs (Metcalf, 2007). In the last decade, we’ve seen The California College of Arts and Crafts (CCA) dropping the term from its title and the flagship American Craft Museum drop the term ‘craft’ to become The Museum of Arts and Design (Moses, 2012). However, the word ‘craft’ is making a comeback as it has become closely used in reference to the Maker Movement. The World Wide Web has aided in this movement, especially with websites like Etsy2, Ponoko3, and Instructables4 just to name a few. This may not be the same ‘craft’ that favors the hand-work tradition in some cases, but it has evolved into a process that embraces technology, creative computing, and computer-aided machining to become something that closely integrates design-thinking practices with technology. Skill is most associated to the hands in reference to craft and making. Skilled hands in direct contact with material take on an intimacy in pinching, grasping, pressing, forming, and guiding raw material (McCullough, 1997). While they pick up tools, they also pick up experience in knowing how to guide those tools. Skill is the learned ability to do a useful process well; hand motor skill is learned by repetition of a task (Adamson, 2007). Commitment to skillful practice lies at the heart of any craft mastery, and it is through technique that the hand informs the process and becomes an extension of the mind (Sennett, 2008). Functional craft references usefulness in proportion to the hand and body – in scale, weight, balance, comfort, and ease of use. Functional craft dictates a choreography of movements in its use by making the hands and body respond to the object’s physical properties such as structure, weight, and texture. Craft theorist Howard Risatti uses the definition of craft to reference an object’s functionality and usefulness in direct relation to the hand or body; he maintains craft is completely separate from those who practice solely design (Risatti, 2007). Craft collectors and gallery curators tend to distinguish craft from fine art in material aspects, and reference ceramics, glass, wood, metal, and fiber as traditional

2 Etsy is an online marketplace where individuals can sell their handmade objects 3 Ponoko is an online mail-order site for producing objects using CAM machinery 4 Instructables is an online forum where users share their project process with others

5 craft materials in the collection, curation, and marketing of exhibitions (Adamson, 2010). Some academics and craft artists classify sculptural (non-functional) objects made with these materials as abstract craft. And still other craft categorizations have been made by others in reference to how it’s made – by hand or by machine5. Most of these cited agree that craft references an object, and excludes itself from design in the sense of realization by drawing and layout. The computer industry now uses human-computer partnerships as an advertising tool rather than focusing on the product itself. They emphasize how computers can make real- world tasks easier and how you can integrate technology into your lifestyle and daily routine. It matters less what the technology can do alone than what you want to do with it. The word craftsman is now being referenced to people that work solely in the abstract world of computers. While some material purists and craft theorists may object to using craft in this context, it’s worth exploring how the word has - and is evolving to attract a new generation of craft artists whose purpose is exploration in technology and making a relevant contribution to the realization of an art object in the form of process. Virtual craft is a term that seems like an oxymoron; the definition of traditional handcraft would imply a tactile approach. Touch can be indirect as well as parallel – as long as the craftsperson is continually in control of their tools in coaxing a material as in glassblowing or metal casting. Similarly, a virtual craftsperson has informed skill and control of their tools, yet they have no material. The virtual craftsman has a mastery of software media applied to a particular discipline. While their control of the tools can be referred to as artistry in practical work, it’s the exploration and application of those tools that produce a new form of craft in a tangible sense. In my case, the process applied in this body of work developed from a unique understanding of the software tools and how I could apply them to computer-aided machining. Besides reference to craft as a hierarchical noun, it’s also used as a descriptive objectifier – to say an object has ‘good craftsmanship’ can describe anything well-made in terms of fine art, hand-made, and even machined objects. I’ve observed craft reference an

5 In response to the new entry category of CAD-assisted objects for the Annual Design in Wood Show put on by The San Diego Fine Woodworkers Association

6 abstract concept in the digital realm such as the craft of software mastery or the craft of computer programming. Even with the use of the word craft in reference to the computer, there is still a mind-body relationship in manipulation of tools. Malcolm McCullough is one advocate of a craft-technology partnership and observes a correspondence between digital work and traditional craft from the mind-body relationship in manipulation of software tools. McCullough describes computation as a medium, rather than just a set of tools. On the other end of the craft theorist spectrum, Howard Risatti contends that handcraft cannot compete with mechanical production and makes the distinction between craftsman and designer by citing examples of designers that let others make the physical objects (Risatti, 2007). While I agree that being intimately informed by the material should dictate the design in most cases, I do not agree with Pye’s and Risatti’s assertions that an object made with a machine cannot be considered craft. There are also gray areas of craft classifications that take into consideration of how much of the piece is made by the artisan. Of course there are differences in having parts made by a third party and full automation of a product; a hand-made blanket chest is considered craft even though the hinges are bought from a company that specializes in hinges. Another gray area of classification is based on previous work. Personally, I have products in fully automated production but I also hand make objects. The full automation is done by me on a laser, not a third party, although I occasionally hire friends. I would not go so far as calling these production pieces craft, but there is still craftsmanship involved in designing the products, making prototypes, and setting up the machine to achieve quality results. My hand-made pieces (like my thesis body of work) have parts made with the laser, but there is much more work that goes into the finished objects after the material is cut by machine. I label myself a “designer” or “craftsman” depending on the piece I’m talking about at the moment. I feel it is the original intent of each individual piece that dictates its classification as craft object or product. I feel the need to distinguish my own classifications in relation to the role of artist or designer; between machine-made objects or mass-produced objects made with machines. I feel the difference starts with the artist/designer’s intent in relation to the predicted audience/end user. A designer might use the word ‘prototype’ and produce a number of these items in succession, being informed by craftsmanship, manufacturing processes,

7 material, and production cost for the item to be used by many consumers. An artist will consider the end result of ONE piece in which the goal is an aesthetically-pleasing object for a single user/patron (or a short run of multiples for several users). The artist uses great care in making the piece, even if using an industrial machine. In each of these situations, their process is predetermined by their intent. Their craftsmanship or lack thereof, lies within their process, not their tools.

CRAFT: A PREDICTION OF THE FUTURE As software continues to develop, we will see those of us immersed in the digital making begin writing our own software plug-ins as the software becomes too basic for our imaginations. This is the future of digital craft. The focus of this equipment will not be on replacing current hand tools (although that is inevitable from a manufacturing standpoint); it will be using the software and equipment to make something completely new and different. There is a sense of craftsmanship in immersion to CAD/CAM software. After fully learning a specific CAD or design software package, I get past what it can do, and become focused on what it cannot do. This is when I go in search of software plugins. Rhino developers open their software up for third party programmers to create plugins that can be loaded into the current software. I have used many of these plugins, but I still feel restricted by the software to the point that I have quoted programmers on costs to develop an image manipulation plugin for me. This is too expensive for one user, so I am currently learning basic programming skills to create my own plugins. The constant emergence of new plugins pushes creative control to a new level. The future of craft is only limited by one’s imagination to come up with something new and develop a process in making it.

CHAPTER 3

INSPIRATION

The initial inspiration for this body of work came primarily from living in a very small studio apartment and trying to make the most efficient use of the space. My 175 square foot apartment did not allow much space for basic living needs without moving things around for different activities such as eating or sleeping. As a furniture maker with limited studio space to work, I also had to find places to store my completed furniture projects. I started to utilize my interior walls for storage; I made brackets to hold chairs against the wall and used hooks and bungee cords to attach lightweight objects to the ceiling. There is a daily routine to living in a small space - just like camping in a travel trailer where tables and chairs are used during the day then transform into beds at night; I used the same idea for transforming the space for daily activities. My futon was used as a bed and a couch, and I used a folding desk and folding chair for eating and studying. I stored the desk and chair on the wall brackets when I wasn’t using them. My space was utilitarian, but not the least bit aesthetically pleasing. The iconic metal folding chair is not made to look attractive in use or in storage, and most other folding furniture on the market have just as much regard to aesthetic value while also requiring storage space when not in use. Since I was already storing these on the wall, it made sense to find a solution where I could camouflage these everyday utilitarian objects as wall art.

MACHINE POTENTIAL As the project progressed, and CAD/CAM became the main focus of the process, the idea of simplification of environment, space, and daily activities dovetailed completely with the simplification and perfection of machining. As I stated in Chapter 2, “The computer industry now uses human-computer partnerships as an advertising tool rather than focusing on the product itself. They emphasize how computers can make real-world tasks easier and how you can integrate technology into your lifestyle and daily routine.” Like most people, I wholeheartedly embrace any mobile app or digital device that can make my life easier.

Simplification of process appeals to me; I am an obsessive perfectionist. The inspiration that informed this project came not only from a design problem, and work by other artists, but also the CAD software and the laser machines.

JEROEN VERHOEVEN In Cinderella Table (see Figure 1 in Appendix A; Victoria and Albert Museum, 2006), Verhoeven merged two-dimensional sketches of an 18th century commode and an antique console and then morphed them into a three-dimensional model using CAD software. He translated the three-dimensional model to CNC cutting techniques, slicing the model into flat pieces and cutting thin birch plywood sheets with a 5- axis CNC router from both sides of the sheets. He glued all the individual slices together by hand and applied a hand finish. The process took him three months to perfect. This piece demonstrates his storytelling design philosophy that the improbable can become the extraordinary. We are storytellers, from fantasy to factory, from statement to product. (Verhoeven as cited in Victoria and Albert Museum, 2006) In this quote, he refers to his work as product, but he also considers the work an exploration in craft even though machine processes are used. It's about attention to detail and the possibility to make something unique with a machine that is normally used for mass production. (Verhoeven as cited in Victoria and Albert Museum, 2006) The use of CAD/CAM would appear to negate the individualism of craft objects, but besides the hand work involved in gluing and finishing, there is also a direct mind-software- machine relationship in his process. This piece is a great example of furniture that was imagined utilizing CAD modeling functions and illustrates how the knowledge of material and machine creates a form that could conceivably not have been imagined without the aid of a computer. When examining the object, the machine process is evident in the construction, but the intervention of CAD tools is overwhelming in its design and conception.

MICHAEL HOSALUK Michael Hosaluk is recognized internationally and in Canada as one of the world's most creative wood turners. In most of his works, He creates wood forms on lathe and embellishes the objects with creative surface patterning techniques. In a 2004 workshop with Hosaluk, he introduced me to a wood burning/staining technique in which he used a wood

10 burning tool to engrave a low-relief pattern into the wood’s surface before applying stain. Wood grain is porous, and when applying colored stain to wood, the stain bleeds into the wood grain. If deep enough, the wood burning technique allows the stain’s bleed to stop at the edge of the burn line. This allows for a crisp edge application of stain that can mimic the technique of wood marquetry. This technique is illustrated in Hosaluk’s Bird Vessel (see Figure 2 in Appendix A; Hosaluk, n.d.). Using this knowledge, I applied his hand burning technique to the process of laser engraving, and was able to burn deep enough with the laser to apply stain in the same manner to my furniture pieces. I used this process to emphasize shapes in Crane Chair (see Plate 7 in Appendix B) and Mosquito Lamp (see Plate 15 in Appendix B), utilized shades of stain to give the impression of depth in Skyline Table (see Plate 23 in Appendix B) and manipulated the stain as perceived shadow to make the two dimensional images look three-dimensional in Crab Desk (see Plate 16 in Appendix B) and Frog Table (see Plate 21 in Appendix B). Because of the line depth achieved with laser engraving, I also developed a process of adding bright acrylic paint onto the wood then sanding off the excess from the surface leaving color only in the engraved lines (see Plate 8 in Appendix B). Introducing color defined the origami patterns and also referenced the vivid origami diagrams (see Figure 3 in Appendix A; Stillman, 2011) that inspired the graphic imagery.

ALAN WEXLER Allen Wexler explores human activity and the built environment. He monumentalizes functional items from daily rituals: dining, sleeping, and bathing; staging them in ways that question the object’s function within its environment (Blackburn, 2006). He links function and behavior in a variety of often absurd and paradoxical ways that is less concerned with the impenetrable complexity of the world of objects than with the complexity of our culture and behavior that objects can be brought to reveal. Vinyl Milford (see Figure 4 in Appendix A; Wexler, 1994) transforms a mass-produced, vinyl coated sheet metal storage shed into a guest house. This building is too small to contain the functional objects required for daily rituals, so the furnishings and utensils needed for each of these functions bulge the walls creating ghost-like forms of the interior furniture to be revealed on the outside. These objects can then be pulled into the room when needed. Wexler focuses this project on

11 traditionally-used functional objects and modifies the space to encompass them instead of marrying the object and the space. Wexler’s use of built-in objects inspired my folding furniture’s ability to transform a space. I envision a tiny room of my folding furniture where transformations of daily activities occur in harmony with the transformation and use of furniture.

ANDREA ZITTEL Andrea Zittel, like Wexler, is influenced by the built environment, efficiency, and daily ritual in her work. In Zittel’s project, Encampment, she uses objects like Wagon Stations (see Figure 5 in Appendix A; Zittel & Dodge, 2004) to challenge users to question their daily routine in relation to their environment. The AZ Encampment is located at the western edge of A-Z West where A-Z Wagon Stations, a communal outdoor kitchen, composting toilets and open air showers provide minimal self contained amenities for off the grid living. Guests who stay in the Wagon Station Encampment are encouraged to step outside of their every-day patterns and routines, and to open themselves up to new possibilities and ways of living. Small details such as sleeping and waking patterns, personal hygiene routines, and removal from communication technologies, all prompt a heightened focus, as ingrained assumptions about needs, values and social norms come into question. (Zittel as cited in Sarabeth, 2013) The daily activities of a person are highly influenced by their surroundings. I see Zittel’s work as an example of how one can converge with nature through interaction with their furniture and surrounding architecture. Other work by Zittel investigates compact, personal structures and furniture, re-conceiving ideas about the shapes and capabilities of private space. In 1992, Zittel created A-Z Management and Maintenance Unit (see Figure 6 in Appendix A; Zittel, 1992) as a three-dimensional setup that maximized the use of her cramped Brooklyn studio. The installation is multifunctional and movable. With a footprint of a mere 60 square feet, it is built in a steel frame that can be folded up for moving. It contains a restaurant-style dining booth, a plastic sink, a stovetop, a closet, a cot, a stool and some work space. Like my work, her piece was partly inspired by the trials of living in a small space and using it most efficiently as well as being compact and movable for transitional living.

CHAPTER 4

PROCESS

I researched many types of folding furniture and their hinging components while building and testing my own folding and sliding mechanisms. I gave myself the constraint of having the furniture lay flush against the wall without much thickness. I wanted the furniture to be disguised as wall art until it was taken off the wall for use. In that sense, the “wall art” should look like most art hanging on the wall being rectangular in shape, lacking excessive depth, and having a sense of being framed or self-encompassing. It was also important that the folding mechanism be unobtrusive. I could not find an existing hinge that would accomplish what I needed it to do in the amount of material space I had, so I came up with my own hinges; one was a laser-cut steel fabrication similar to a pivot hinge, and the other used bungee cord.

ORIGAMI In the process of finding the hinge solution, I made many paper models. Paper can fold in a way that makes its own living hinge which allows it to bend back and forth on itself while holding a memory of the crease. The Japanese arts of origami (folding paper) and kirigami (folding, then cutting paper) demonstrate how paper can be manipulated into many different forms. Using the basic concepts of these paper-folding techniques, I discovered the forms and locations for the “folds” in my furniture pieces. At this point, I came up with the solution of using bungee cords in the hinging process. The cords imbedded in the wood allowed the material to fold back and forth on itself like paper without locking into a stop position constrained by that of a mechanical hinge. The tensile strength and stress recoverability of bungee cord allows the furniture to bend, while also holding the joints tight to keep the furniture sound and sturdy. Just like folded paper retains a “memory” of a fold, the bungee cord combined with a beveled edge on the wood allows the furniture to retain a “memory” as the furniture appears to snap into position when taken off the wall.

WALLS, CAMOUFLAGE, AND SPACE TRANSITION The wall is an under-utilized component of a living space and is primarily used to for display purposes. Making use of the wall for storage of the furniture while also combining its wall art display properties would create an efficient use of space and keep the furniture subtle in its intended small space environment. I felt as a flat wall object, the pieces needed to be thin and discreet, but also have a hint as to the purpose of the object with an abstract graphic concept. To make a piece of furniture that would “disappear” within the space requires it to be extremely basic in its form and fold in a way that would make it essentially camouflaged. I wanted a patterned, abstract image on the face, while maintaining interest with discreet clean lines, minimal clunkiness, quiet, unobtrusive, understated, and subtle qualities. It needed to be something people would want to hang on their wall to admire, while also being utilitarian. It’s thin, light form also has the attribute of being easy to pack up and move into a new space very easily, and its simple camouflaged form makes it easy to change the aesthetics of the surrounding space without much consideration of matching its style. The idea of being able to move furniture efficiently from one small space to another appealed to me in the design process. Moving can be an arduous experience. Imagine moving your complete set of apartment furniture in one compact car load by yourself. I did this recently, and it delighted me to the point of sharing the ease of my move on social media.

GRAPHICS AND FORMS The furniture forms were interesting when folded into their sculptural forms, but I wanted to add decorative imagery to aid in the “wall art” disguise that also hinted to the function of the piece. The imagery needed to have clean lines to balance the simplicity of the furniture forms. While working with paper forms and looking at traditional origami for inspiration in the folding process, I became attracted to the types of diagrams used to illustrate origami folding instructions. Figure 3 shows an archetypal instructional graphic for the origami crane. I saw this two-dimensional instructional representation of a three- dimensional form integral to making the finished origami design, just as my CAD diagrams are integral in representation and manufacturing instruction to making and replicating the furniture. The 2-D to 3-D origami illustration is just one type of origami instruction plan. For more complicated origami forms, especially for use in mathematical origami, the

14 sequenced crease pattern is used for other folders to replicate forms. This step-by-step process displays the set of crease patterns showing the creases up to each respective fold to form the final model. To make this type of diagram, the paper is unfolded and all the crease lines are traced and mapped to the structure of the design. Sometimes with the sequenced crease pattern, the designer leaves the map vague, and it becomes a challenge to folders of being able to 'crack' the pattern. I liked this idea of giving a hint but not fully disclosing the purpose of the game. I integrated both these diagramming concepts into the laser engraved surface graphics of the furniture pieces. Since these were origami diagramming processes, I used origami imagery and paired a traditional origami form with each piece in the show.

MANUFACTURING AND ECO-FRIENDLY MATERIALS When you cut paper with scissors, you end up with the same amount of material on either side of the cut which means there is no material loss, or kerf. Kerf is the width of material removed from the tool blade or bit used for cutting. To translate my paper models seamlessly from paper to wood, I needed to use a laser cutting process. The process of laser cutting wood allows me to machine the material with negligible kerf. The material removed by the laser beam is so hairline small that I didn’t have to account for its measurements in most cases. In other cases, I needed more material removed to leave a significant amount of wiggle-room in removing and replacing the piece of folding furniture from the wall mount. For these areas, I used an offset to extend the corresponding xy axis just enough to act as a spacer to maneuver the piece on and off the wall. Because of the laser’s kerf, I’m able to conserve material, and the cut-offs between the furniture pieces are re-used within the wall mount. When the furniture is mounted on the wall, it’s apparent from the wood grain running through the piece that it is all cut from one piece of wood, and makes it look as though the wood was just cut and re-assembled in the same position – essentially, it is. This adds to the disguise of the piece, making it indistinguishable as a piece of furniture hanging on the wall in its flat form. Besides using an eco-friendly apple plywood material, non- formaldehyde glue, natural shellac finish, and a near zero-waste cutting process, the pieces are also flat-pack and lightweight, so they are eco-friendly to ship.

CAD/CAM AND PROTOTYPES Laser cutting is expensive, especially on large machines that will cut through thick material like the ½” plywood I use in my furniture. I was able to pay for laser cutting services in trade with a local manufacturer by doing design work for them several days a week. Learning the equipment and being exposed to mass-manufacturing over this period of time changed the way I thought about the things I made. The organization, repetition, and workflow in manufacturing fascinate me. As an obsessive perfectionist, the psychology of organization is important to me. Whether it’s organizing my living space or coming up with a manufacturing plan for a product, I’m most at ease when everything is prepared into a tight little package. Using CAD (Computer Aided Drafting) software and CAM (Computer Aided Machining) in my work is my stress-reliever as I’m able to organize a set of plans precisely and accurately using mathematical tools. I derive a sense of pleasure from being able to realize a three-dimensional object that does not yet exist; it’s perfect in its realization and exactness, while complete as an instructional plan for manufacturing and replication. The CAD designs are as important and integral to this body of work as the pieces themselves, especially since I spent more time on perfecting CAD plans (see Plates 30-34 in Appendix B) and prototyping parts than the final assembly and finishing of the furniture pieces. The prototyping process in manufacturing is a way to perfect an object before production. My CAD plans were dynamically changing instructional files through the prototyping stage. During this phase, I performed machine testing with power settings on the material, prepared models and mock-ups of moving parts, and tested surface laser engraving with paint applications before the final design plan was achieved.

LAYERS UPON LAYERS The CAD files were set up into tool path layers that corresponded to each plywood layer of the piece. Essentially, the final pieces were stacks of cut and machined ¼” or ½” apple plywood material. Where the piece called for the bungee cord hinge, I hid a channel for the cord at the center thickness of the ½” plywood. I did this by machining a mirrored half round channel on two pieces of ¼” plywood and then glued them together so they formed a full round channel for the cord. In the diagrams (see Plates 30-34 in Appendix B), the CNC machined ¼” sheets are noted with a 1 (A1, B1). The ½” sheets created from

16 gluing the two ¼” sheets together were then cut on the laser and are noted as A, B, C, etc. The diagram shows A1+A2=A, this means that ¼” sheets A1 and A2 were machined, glued to make ½” A, and cut on the laser. Each piece used the bungee cord channels except Frog Table (see Plate 33 in Appendix B); this piece used only a pivot hinge instead of a cord, so I skipped the CNC process and cut it using ½” ply on the laser. There are two separate tool paths noted in the CNC router diagrams. One tool path layer is a depth cut; this cuts to a specific depth halfway through the wood (for channels). The other tool path layer is a through cut where the depth of the tool’s cut path was set to go all the way through the wood. These paths were used for cutouts and perimeters. I needed to cut the perimeters of the CNC machined pieces to align with the tool path jig for the laser cut paths. Some of the pieces were also veneered before being cut on the laser. Gluing veneer requires a front and back piece applied to the wood so it will not warp (veneer, glue, ply, glue, veneer). This added an extra step when gluing sheets with a channel, the layers were veneer, glue, ply, glue, ply, glue, veneer. Mosquito Lamp had an acrylic insert that had to be inserted when gluing. Extra material was left at the perimeter so I could align all the sheets with the channel and fasten them with a brad nail at the corner to keep them aligned (this extra edge material was later removed during laser cutting). The sheets were then glued in a vacuum bag. It was very important to keep these sheets aligned at the edges to assure they would be cut in the correct position when put on the laser. There are two machine processes in which the laser is capable; engrave and cut. The former just uses less power than the latter but requires a separate tool path layer (noted in diagrams). When setting up the file for the laser, the jig path was first cut out of cardboard. The wood was aligned within the piece of cardboard to assure alignment to the rest of the cut layers. In perfect situations, the engrave tool path was machined first, then the cut path. However, there was inevitable warping with the natural material of the plywood, and since the laser’s focus is set to the height of the wood, there would be quality control loss wherever the material varied in thickness to the point where the focus was set. Special considerations were made to cut parts out which reduced warp and made the wood lay flat, and then engraving or cutting continued with the rest of the piece. Besides the ½” layers that make up the piece of furniture, there are ¼” backers (labeled as C in the diagram). Most of the backers serve as a full sheet to hold the rest of the parts in place and are machined without

17 any moving parts. The only cutouts in C make room for the hanging cleat as well as a grid of cutouts to remove from the piece to reduce weight while maintaining strength. The exception to this case is Mosquito Lamp, which had multiple layers added to make room for the wiring and LED components. The perimeters of these components were machined right into the material so I could just insert them afterward. Besides machining the wood, I also made my own pivot hinges (see Plate 35 in Appendix B) for two of the pieces. These were two separate pieces cut (including drill holes) out of 1/16” steel on the laser, then bent on a brake (at the laser engraved line), patina and clear finishes applied, and fastened with washers and rivets.

HAND WORK There were several processes done after the pieces were machined. A 45 degree chamfer was added at the furniture edges wherever it needed to fold against itself. Channels were routed into the edge at points to sink the bungee cord into the material at points where its path came out and went back in on non-folding edges. The bungee cord channels were cleaned out with a long drill bit as some of the glue had squeezed into it. Access holes (pre- routed) for the bungee cord tie-off were drilled deeper to account for the thickness of the knot. Areas were routed out and drilled wherever pivot hinges were used (pre-marked by the laser engraver). All pieces were then coated with a sanding sealer to prevent the colored gel medium from bleeding into the wood. Colored gel medium was applied and sanded off to fill engraved lines (process described earlier), and all pieces were selectively stained using a thin paintbrush to fill in small areas between engraved lines. This was a careful and tedious process as I needed to apply stain only on the wood surface within the lines. If the stain seeped into the engraved channel, or went outside the line, it would bleed into the grain and ruin the piece. After a clear coat was applied, the cut-off and backer pieces were aligned and glued. In Mosquito Lamp, the electrical components and “fake” pull switch were added, and the pivot hinges were fastened to Crab Desk and Frog Table. The process of inserting the bungee cords required cutting the cord, burning the end (to prevent unraveling), threading it through the channels, stretching it to the optimum elasticity, tying if off, then finally burning the end again. The cleats were added on the back and the piece mounted on the wall.

CHAPTER 5

TWOFOLD: THE WORK

Upon entrance to a gallery show, visitors usually see a sign with the title and artist name. Upon closer inspection, visitor saw that my sign, Lily Shelf (see Plates1-3 in Appendix B), also functioned as a folding shelf. It was an appropriate introduction to the rest of the work.

CRANE CHAIR In Crane Chair (see Plates 4-9 in Appendix B) I used origami instruction diagramming concepts to take the user through the folding process of the chair. The origami crane is the most publicly recognized representation of origami, and the basic form of the chair was the only piece in the body of work that looked like a conventional furniture form, so I paired the two. When in the ‘wall’ position, the surface pattern shows a sequenced crease pattern of the origami crane (see Plate 4 in Appendix B) to give a hint that this something more than just a flat object on the wall. Similar to the challenge of the origami sequenced crease pattern, I wanted this graphic to be seen as a challenge to which there is a solution or reward. When the chair is taken off the wall, the graphics on the inner wall mount (see Plate 8 in Appendix B) show a repetitive image that would be recognized as a typical origami folding diagram. The graphic shows a completed origami crane excluding one final directive in the folding process – the wings of the crane have not been folded down. This hints to the user that they are not done yet, and there is one last step. Once the chair is opened and the seat folded down, there is a reveal in the corner of the seat to expose the finished origami crane and signal the folding process is complete (see Plate 7 in Appendix B). The seat cutout was integral to the form’s folding process to lie flat, but was also integral to the graphic reward of the challenge.

MOSQUITO LAMP Growing up in the Midwest with the nuisance of mosquitoes, I decided to pair the lamp form with imagery showing a swarm of origami mosquitoes being drawn to a bare light

19 bulb in Mosquito Lamp (see Plates 10-15 in Appendix B). Similar to the instructional process of Crane Chair, The origami imagery takes you through the folding process from an incomplete origami mosquito on the flat surface to a completed origami mosquito revealed when the lamp is in its sculptural form (see Plate 10 in Appendix B). Instead of using the challenge of the sequenced crease pattern in this piece, I gave a hint to with an iconic lamp outline formed by the image of the bulb’s electrical cord (see Plate 12 in Appendix B). When the lamp shade is unfolded, the reward for completing the folding process is the completed visual form of the iconic lamp (see Plate 10 in Appendix B). The end of the cord from the initial surface image concludes inside where it appears to be plugged into a wall socket (see Plate 15 in Appendix B). The wall socket mirrors the actual socket that the piece is plugged into. Another “reward” of discovering the clues in this piece is that the lamp functions in both wall and sculptural forms. When the light is turned on in the piece’s flat position, the LED light shines through the wood veneer (see Plate 11 in Appendix B). The imagery of the bulb and socket has a pull switch protruding from the form. While the pull switch does not function as the lamp’s power switch, pulling on it reveals the method to unfolding the lamp shade. The on/off switch for the light is hidden on the bottom next to the exit of the fabric cord.

CRAB DESK AND FROG TABLE Crab Desk (see Plates16-20 in Appendix B) and Frog Table (see Plates 21-22 in Appendix B ) use a different approach to the instructional graphic concept. While the origami patterns also give a hint to folding process, the main imagery elude to the fact that these are atypical furniture forms intended for typical use. These two pieces have folding components that remain on the wall for use as table surfaces. Both pieces, when folded out, are uncharacteristic in their furniture forms as a table and desk. Because of their unexpected shape, I used archetypal graphic examples of a desk and table in an awkward three- dimensional forced perspective. Crab Desk is paired with the imagery of an origami crab, and Frog Table with an origami frog. I chose to use these representations because both these animals move primarily on the ground and have feet, while characteristic desks and tables also commonly have feet and are placed on the floor (of course these do not). The components from Frog Table swing out to form a small occasional table (see Plate 22 in

Appendix B). Crab Desk is similar in movement, but has an extra support component that when folded out, reveals a separate stool for use at the desk (see Plate 20 in Appendix B). Like Crane Chair and Mosquito Lamp, the graphic origami imagery on Frog Table and Crab Desk show incomplete to complete paper folded graphics from the flat surface to the interior reveals, mimicking the folding process. Crab Desk has three depths of surface imagery within the piece; the primary origami crab is on the front of the flat form, the secondary crab image is shown after the desk surface is folded out, and the completed origami crab is revealed after the stool is removed (see Plate 19 in Appendix B).

SKYLINE TABLE As the final piece in the series, the imagery for Skyline Table (see Plates 23-29 in Appendix B) departed from the instructional sequence of the other work and was inspired by the freedom in the simple form and size of the table design. I had more room and opportunity to experiment with this larger coffee table, and wanted to take advantage of the depth I could achieve with the large cutout areas (see Plate 29 in Appendix B). Unlike the previous pieces, in which the wall mount was integral to the overall form, and vice versa, the form of the table and the piece left on the wall could exist independently from each other without seeming completely incongruous. I chose to use an image of the New York skyline that conveyed a feeling of distance and depth. The imagery represents a city with limited and confined living space, where space-saving furniture is a necessity and requires a performance in interior design compartmentalizing. Skyline Table represents perceived depth and distance of open space in appearance while also reinforcing the motivation for the entire body of work’s conception and function.

CHAPTER 6

CONCLUSION

Although the concept of Twofold developed as a response to making the most efficient use of a small space living environment, it also became an exercise in design and manufacturing efficiency. At first, I went into the project thinking I would simply design these pieces and have them cut by laser. As the work developed, I became immersed in CAD/CAM processes. Having access to industrial tools like a laser cutter and CNC router changed my entire perspective on making and craft theory. I started thinking less about what I needed the tools to do and more about what I could push the tools to do for me. The work made me challenge preconceived notions of handmade traditional craft. I feel I finally got over the learning curve and started to feel comfortable with the tools around the time the project neared completion. I still feel compelled to exploit CAM/CAD tools and what they can do; my work continues to develop extensively out of this experience. I see these not as manufacturing tools, but as woodworking tools. To me, they are in the same category as a hammer or chisel; tools used to master a desired skill set. While there is less hand-material contact using digital processes, there is a mind-hand-material relationship that is less about knowing what to do with a tool and more about having the informed ability to tell the tool what to do and how to do it. While I am not guiding a tool across material as in using a hand plane to smooth a piece of wood, I am guiding the tool’s path over material. Cutting a perfect dovetail in wood takes practice in knowing how to hold the tools in relation to the material just as setting up speed and power machine settings to get the perfect laser cut; no bevel, small kerf, absolute focus depth, low burn. The difference can be seen between a novice and master’s dovetail cut, similarly as in a laser-cut piece of wood. Just as my contemporaries and I will continue to the exploit machine potential in craft, we also continue to exploit the software used to create it. From the time I began to consider myself a woodworker, my work has evolved from a purely handmade physical form to an intangible process that creates a physical form for my hands to manipulate into craft.

REFERENCES

Adamson, G. (2007). Thinking through craft. Oxford, England: Berg Publishers. Adamson, G. (2010). The craft reader. Oxford, England: Berg Publishers. Blackburn, J. (2006). Furniture as prop in the social theater of life. In J. Kelsey (Ed.), Focus on materials: Furniture studio 4 (pp. 79-91). Durham, NC: The Furniture Society. Hosaluk, M. (n.d.). Bird vessel. Retrieved from http://www.michaelhosaluk.com/ project_06.php McCullough, M. (1997). Abstracting craft: The practiced digital hand. Boston, MA: The MIT Press. Metcalf, B. (2007). The future is a giant meteorite… and the craft world has already been hit. In J. Kelsey (Ed.), The meaning of craft: Furniture studio 5 (pp. 30-36). Durham, NC: The Furniture Society. Moses, M. (2012). Is the future of craft in design? American Craft, 72, 90-92. Pye, D. (1968). The nature and art of workmanship. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. Risatti, H. (2007). A theory of craft. Chapel Hill, NC: The University of North Carolina Press. Sarabeth. (2013, October 28). #Homefornow-site #1-AZ west encampment, Joshua tree, CA [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://hashtaghomefornow.blogspot.com/2013/10/ homefornow-site1-az-west-encampment.html#!/2013/10/homefornow-site1-az-west- encampment.html Sennett, R. (2008). The craftsman. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. Stillman, D. (2011, September 28). MetaGami: Origami for memory [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://danielstillman.com/2011/09/28/metagami-origami-for-memory/ Victoria and Albert Museum. (2006). ‘Cinderella' table, by Jeroen Verhoeven, 2005-6. Retrieved from http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/c/cinderella-table/ Wexler, A. (1994). Vinyl milford. Retrieved from http://www.allanwexlerstudio.com/ projects/vinyl-milford Zittel, A. (1992). A-Z management and maintenance unit. Retrieved from http://www.zittel.org/works Zittel, A. & Dodge, D. (2004). A-Z wagon stations. Retrieved from http://www.zittel.org/works

APPENDIX A

FIGURES

Figure 1. Cinderella table. Source: Victoria and Albert Museum. (2006). ‘Cinderella' table, by Jeroen Verhoeven, 2005-6. Retrieved from http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/c/cinderella-table/

Figure 2. Bird vessel. Source: Hosaluk, M. (n.d.). Bird vessel. Retrieved from http://www.michaelhosaluk.com/project_06.php

Figure 3. Origami diagram. Source: Stillman, D. (2011, September 28). MetaGami: Origami for memory [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://danielstillman.com/2011/09/28/metagami- origami-for-memory/

Figure 4. Vinyl milford. Source: Wexler, A. (1994). Vinyl milford. Retrieved from http://www.allanwexlerstudio.com/projects/vinyl-milford

Figure 5. Wagon stations. Source: Zittel, A. & Dodge, D. (2004). A-Z wagon stations. Retrieved from http://www.zittel.org/works

Figure 6. A-Z management and maintenance unit. Source: Zittel, A. (1992). A-Z management and maintenance unit. Retrieved from http://www.zittel.org/work.php

APPENDIX B

PLATES

Plate 1. Lily Sign: Plywood, Bungee Cord (18”h x 42”w x 1”d)

Plate 2. Lily Sign (open detail)

Plate 3. Lily Sign (closed detail)

Plate 4. Crane Chair: Plywood, Bungee Cord (33”h x 16”w x 16”d)

Plate 5. Crane Chair (transition detail)

Plate 6. Crane Chair (open detail)

Plate 7. Crane Chair (reveal detail)

Plate 8. Crane Chair (color application within engraved lines detail)

Plate 9. Crane Chair (staining within engraved lines detail)

Plate 10. Mosquito Lamp: Plywood, Bungee Cord, Electronic Components (23.5”h x 30”w x 12”d)

Plate 11. Mosquito Lamp (lit detail)

Plate 12. Mosquito Lamp (closed detail)

Plate 13. Mosquito Lamp (engraving detail)

Plate 14. Mosquito Lamp (led and mirror detail)

Plate 15. Mosquito Lamp (staining detail)

Plate 16. Crab Desk: Plywood, Bungee Cord (35”h x 48”w x 14”d)

Plate 17. Crab Desk (transition detail 1)

Plate 18. Crab Desk (transition detail 2)

Plate 19. Crab Desk (open detail)

Plate 20. Crab Desk (in use detail)

Plate 21. Frog Table: Plywood, Bungee Cord (33”h x 29”w x 11”d)

Plate 22. Frog Table (open detail)

Plate 23. Skyline Table: Plywood, Bungee Cord (23”h x 47”w x 15”d)

Plate 24. Skyline Table (transition detail 1)

Plate 25. Skyline Table (transition detail 2)

Plate 26. Skyline Table (transition detail 3)

Plate 27. Skyline Table (open detail)

Plate 28. Skyline Table (staining and engraving detail)

Plate 29. Skyline Table (depth detail)

Plate 30. Crane Chair CAD Layout

Plate 31. Mosquito Lamp CAD Layout

Plate 32. Crab Desk CAD Layout

Plate 33. Frog Table CAD Layout

Plate 34. Skyline Table CAD Layout

Plate 35. Metal Hinge CAD Layout