xFAB
Week 03 - Basketry
A course where students will be introduced to the fundamentals of making through electronics and fabrication in order to produce a wide range of creative work. The focus is on materials and tools as used across cultures, geographies and timelines. Where students critically analyze the making histories within which many groups are marginalized, missing representations of grassroots makers in current narratives and infusion of for-profit ethos in open movements. The course introduces current tools and techniques charted through multiple historical and social perspectives.
Task: To make something through the technique of weaving
01 Motivation / Inspiration
When I heard the idea of weaving immediately what came to mind was a poncho. I knew from my last project I didn’t want to settle for something good I wanted to push myself as far as I could out of my comfort zone.
This is the Mood Board that came to me:
The design choice for me was a Post-Apocalyptic dystopian future. The Wolverine toy really stood out to me. I had this toy after seeing X-Men in the early 2000s and one thing I constantly remember is my love for that metal piece. That metal piece is supposed to be Magneto collecting metal and subduing Wolverine. This gave me a good idea to make the poncho of the future which represents the passing of time.
02 Making Process & The Final Object
03 Final Product
Materials:
Amazon package (Plastics)
Net
Cords, Electrical Wire (I found on the street)
Thrifted jacket, hoodie, pants
Cardboard
First Concept:
The original idea was to have textile on the bottom, wires second, plastic on the top to represent the most used material. Show the most produced products of that time. Eventually I scarped the idea because I wanted something that felt like an amalgamation of random found products I wanted this feel like things found randomly in a post-apocalyptic world.
The net felt the most secure to start with and wrapping the ethernet cables for a neckpiece made the most sense in my head. I started weaving used Amazon delivery packages through the net and continued to weave random items I can get my hands on to make sense of this project. The phrase that kept coming into my mind was motherless child, I wanted the creator to lose the sense of proper technique through reliance of the internet and have an unskilled individual make this piece as if they were a motherless child, someone making this “garment” just to continue surviving.
I added a hood and was able to put on the garment was well as two pockets.
Overall I’m really happy with this project I pushed it very far and made something unique. I’m excited to see whats next. This really pushed me out of my comfort zone I’ve never done anything like this but felt happy with my work. There were multiple times that I didn’t think it was gonna work.