Perforation Sketches

I have always been fascinated by exhausting a technique or pushing a tool to the limit, just before the material deteriorates. A few years ago, when I for the first time had unlimited access to a laser cutter, I started working with perforation as a technique to achieve visually stimulating effects. It was the first step into creating depth in what later has become our screen projects.

Drawing in Small Scale

In the process of drawing the patterns for the Box Theater Project, I made this small scale experiment. The drawing consists of two layers, ink on perforated mylar in front, white drawing paper behind. Dim. appr. 6x9"

Drawing in Large Scale - Series 1

drawing 1.1
19"x24"

drawing 1.2
19"x24"

drawing 1.3
19"x24"

This is a series of drawings I began two years ago following a trip I took to San Francisco; I ended up going to see the de Young Museum. There was an exhibition of Ruth Asawa's work which affected me in a profoundly visceral way. I should really say these drawings were inspired by her work and her drawings. Each one has taken a few months to complete; it was very much a meditation for me. I would come home from work and draw for a few hours. They are posted in the order they were completed. Following the black and white palate of the ones shown above, I turned to color. Those drawings will posted at a later date. Currently, I am working on a new series with a little bit of experimentation. It takes me a long time to be courageous.

I am uncertain as to what I should do with these drawings. I was thinking they would make pretty nice greeting cards.

Textures in Islamic Spain

The Mosque Series

60" x 60"

The Ceilings Series
10" x 90"

I will begin posting photographs from my travels to Southern Spain based on a project I was working on between 2007 and 2008. The trip was funded through the Deborah J. Norden Fund Travel Grant given out through the Architectural League of New York, and in late November I gave a lecture regarding these travels at The Urban Center in Midtown. These photograph series were a part of my presentation. There are ten of these series that I developed, and they will be posted over time.

My project was based on researching ornament throughout the buildings and cities of what was once an Islamic center in Europe [the Mosque of Cordoba and the Alhambra being the more obvious structures]. The original intention as I was beginning this project was to explore the concept of tolerance as it was represented through ornament and ornamentation in Andalucia. After vising the lands and delving deeper into its rich history, this concept broadened, and the role of toleration took on more complex flavors. I became interested in how this concept of toleration could be read into the variety of built forms and histories of the Andalucian empires.

Box Theater Project - "The Panels"

Panel 1
dim: 24"x96"
mat: polyethylene

Panel 2
dim: 24"x96"
mat: polyethylene

The following are two screens that have been completed. We had a great debate on whether or not we should use 1/8" holes. Panel 1 has them; Panel 2 does not. When we went ahead with it, it did end up adding another seven hours to the process. But it makes quite a difference when viewed in person. Panel 2 took only two weekends to complete while Panel 1 took three.


We found the material in a plastics lumberyard outside of Pennsylvania. They had been sitting outside, by the river, and from time to time the river had flooded over them them. There was algae growing on some of them, and they smelled awful.

Screen Wall - Time To Design New Talent Award 2008

In September 2008 I won the Time To Design - New Talent Award, which allowed me to work for three months at the National Workshops for Arts and Craft in Copenhagen, Denmark. While many of our other projects use CNC-milling to achieve porosity, this project is based entirely on old-school wood-working techniques and details. More than 1500 blocks of wood were cut on a band saw, glued together four and four, sanded and routed, and finally assembled in a double-layered screen wall. The wall measures 10.5’x3.5’, with a height of 6.5’, and is made of alder wood.

Box Theater Project - Working Drawings

SCREENS
High-density foam, CNC-milling

Box Theater Project - Introduction

I am going to show some photos of a project we are currently working on; we have long been developing this path, both on our own and together. And within the last year we decided to join forces, as two heads are always better than one. This is an ongoing project in which we are experimenting in many different directions and mediums. Inspired by geometric designs and the way they convey effects of rhythm and celestial atmosphere, we sought to re-implement texture and decoration into contemporary architectural space. Geometric patterns, because of their repetitive characteristics, have always lent themselves to mass production especially in textiles, fabrics and various other surface treatments. It started with a study of hand drilled material in comparison to machine and computer drilled material, and understanding the characteristics of the computerized milling system as an equally disciplined tool.

We began to experiment with various types of materials, no longer just different types of wood, but materials that coordinate well with the machine. The material we are using for this project is called Polyethylene, a plastic used in products such as the plastic shopping bag. The panels themselves are very translucent and the material tends to have a wax like quality which makes them particularly friendly to mill.

Screens

The Headboard

This is one of the first screens I've worked on. Each tile was made with a drill press, one by one, then fixed onto a plexi sheet. The frame is aluminum. The entire piece took one summer to complete; it now serves well as the headboard for a bed.

dim: 24"x 72" mat: poplar wood

Scrappings Series 1

We often document the process, determining the types of drillbits we use, which then determines what kind of hole it creates and what it leaves behind.