In this class most of the people were ready with their first mock models so our work was reviewed by our faculty and we were told how we could modify and improve it.
My faculty explained to me how using wires to portray nerves did not justify the emotion behind the grip as it was too literal. I also realised that using a battery was ruining the soft essence of my grip. I understood the drawbacks and learnt that I actually did not give enough thought behind the material I was using and the overall grip too.
-I started working on the second concept I had thought of. It was the grip of holding a plate.
After rigorous brainstorming, I decided to work on a grip that has inspired me from my personal experience. I chose the front grip of holding a plate
Essence of grips (characteristics)-The grip that was chosen by me is inspired by a traditional folk dance of Rajasthan called “Kalbelia”, in which women hold plates in their hands and dance to the music played by the men. The grip is sturdy, balanced and firm.
How are you representing it in the model (abstraction)-The abstraction of my grip signifies strength and balance using just 3 fingers.The final grip could also be used as an accessory holder or an over door hook.
What material are you choosing (materiality)– Teakwood and Siporex
Why are you choosing that material (conceptualisation)– teakwood is a strong and versatile material known for rigidity and toughness while siporex is known for it’s unique flexibility and light weight. The materials are also comparatively eco friendly as they leave less carbon footprint and I wanted to use materials that represent the balance along with strength.
There is no specific name of the grip but it signifies balance because the women place the plates in their palm and there is a suction vacuum that is formed between the centre of the palm and the plate which makes the plate stick to the palm and creates a proper grip, this is the reason why the plate does not fall off even when the women move the plate up and down.
How will you make the mock– I made the first mock using clay to represent the smooth texture of the palm. I learnt that clay is made through a process called weathering, along a prolonged period of time and kalbelia is a dance form that take a really long time to be perfected too.
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