Archinect - More or Less

Post 70: Thesis update 25 (closure)

2013-05-05T00:52:22-04:00

“I am not a thing—a noun. I seem to be a verb, an evolutionary process—an integral function of the universe.”—R. Buckminster Fuller (in ‘I Seem to be a Verb: Environment and Man's Future’, 1970)

Like my other projects done during my time in Cranbrook Academy of Art, Dept of Architecture, this project is deliberately self-explanatory. I let factors external of me to shape my work: irreparable car that would cost more to fix than to buy new, extremely late scholarship fund, our department studio that was first built as a garage, and numerous other factors. But in Hemingway's rule of simplicity in writing (in his use of verbs and nouns, constraining himself in using only minimal adjectives and adverbs to where they are only necessary) I found a strategy to not only eliminate the need to explain my personal decisions and idiosyncrasies, but also more importantly to open up various readings of the work as wide as possible.

It works. To date I have heard multiple rich interp...

Post 69: Thesis update 24

2013-04-23T20:47:25-04:00

A fellow student sent me this Vimeo link (recorded through a TV), showing Reed Kroloff, our Academy Director, talking about the Degree Show in FOX 2 Morning news with my piece as a backdrop (although I decided not to show any video in the show as it would render the physical stuff as props, this video managed to make it exactly that). He talked a bit about what he thinks my piece was about.

One thing I wish I could say in this clip if I ever got a chance: “Yes, anchor, you are questioning our understanding of art as we are questioning your understanding of journalism. At least both of us would form a critical, if not skeptical, bunch. Awesome.”

Other pieces shown in this clip are from my fellow students sharing the Wainger Gallery. I'm using this chance to give this amazing group of people a shout out for their greatness. They are:

Yuni Kim Lang (Metalsmithing), Tim McMahon (Metalsmithing), Laura Bombach (Metalsmithing), Elizabeth Moran (3D Design), Marnie Briggs (Print Medi...

Post 68: Thesis update 23

2013-04-17T18:07:46-04:00

Sneak preview before clean-up

It's finally done, I lost some chance to document since the camera position was funny + unreachable. I will still have tomorrow to spare, just in case.

The aftermath in the studio

And below is a really ungenerous sneak peak of the upcoming show this Saturday, showing stuffs from other students.

Editing video is up next…

Post 67: Thesis update 22

2013-04-14T18:32:37-04:00

Half a day of installing. I'm so spent, but made less progress than I planned to. But I think it's save to say I've managed to be half-way through. Time to ‘make it work’, as Tim Gunn would say.

Post 66: Thesis update 21

2013-04-13T17:21:29-04:00

The battle has finally been won (with an assistance of a powerhouse for the last part): the beast's body has finally been taken apart. I have to confess that I finally succumbed to machoism of saw-cutting for the last process. No matter how hard I tried to reject Gordon Matta-Clark-ism, it's finally there.

Next issue: showing the residue of the (battle) process. I succeeded, using the really short amount left in the end provided by the museum, installing all the parts needed to go on the wall. How to dump the rest of the elements to the floor, now that's the challenge. Will keep on updating.

As the museum opens only from noon to 5pm on weekends for installation, I finally can catch some sleep tonight.

Oh, to close: a really comforting fact. Guess who's going to keep being the filthiest man on campus for the next few days…

Post 65: Thesis update 20, including Frank Lloyd Wrong's piece for ‘Noise/Sound’ show in Forum Gallery

2013-04-12T21:03:13-04:00

Second day of install. Slower than I expected to be.

On the other hand, the ‘SAAB 9-3 Side Elevation’ is shown in the group show ‘Noise/Sound’ opening tonight until this Wednesday at Forum Gallery.

Post 64: Thesis update 19

2013-04-11T17:25:18-04:00

First day moving in. I feel like an interior decorator, I just smell way much worst.

FYI, it's save to say that #liltreasures series has come to an end. No more little bolts + screws + other easily lost things left to take.

Post 63: Thesis update 18

2013-04-10T21:16:42-04:00

With a little help from someone, I got the engine off. Finally. Going to start moving in the museum tomorrow + the day after, with hopefully ending up with dismantling all the body (the only element left in the car) apart Friday night. Hopeful. Wishful.

#liltreasures series Day 18

Post 62: Thesis update 17

2013-04-08T20:41:24-04:00

#liltreasures series Day 17

A freakin' sad day. No, not because of The Iron Lady, but I'm giving up. I tried to make some progress with so little to no avail. All I could take out were a couple of screws.

I need some professional help. I hollered. Will update on how it goes.

On the other hand, I started my prototype—a mini thesis project: installing, part by part each day, a bike I got from Max Springer (Painting alumni) that was given to me via Fernando on the Gallery A wall on top of every other debris I have put so far. Updates on this can be seen on the Gallery A website in these upcoming days.

Post 61: Thesis update 16

2013-04-07T20:33:19-04:00

#liltreasures series Day 16

A productive, exciting, albeit not speedy enough day. Hurt my right middle finger pretty bad, though. I knew that there would be blood.

As you can see from one post before this, I recorded the audio (+ video, while I was at it, why not, right?) for the show's audio tour. Below is my temporary recording studio using my junkyard-like desk space.

Post 60: Degree Show multimedia permalink

2013-04-06T18:21:07-04:00

This post was made to provide a web link for additional multimedia materials to accompany my thesis project for the 2013 Graduate Degree Exhibition of Cranbrook Academy of Art, in Cranbrook Art Museum.

Note: For those who visits this page before April 20, 2013, please revisit after the aforementioned date for the complete version of this post.

Post 59: Thesis update 15

2013-04-05T23:32:19-04:00

#liltreasures series Day 15

Another (unintentionally) slow day. Just need to get through. A lil bit more.

Post 58: SITE(UN)SEEN

2013-04-05T14:03:00-04:00

Finally, this is the Pontiac story, get ready.

It began with Bill (Massie) taking my fellow student/often partner-in-crime, Fernando Bales to an auction of foreclosed property held by the township of Pontiac, MI, which is currently under the Emergency Management scheme of Oakland County. I decided to join them, with no expectation—always the best strategy to handle Bill, I had learned so far. I was blown away by the surreality of it all. The properties were auctioned in an extremely below-the-market price ($250 for empty lots, to a couple of hundred thousands for a mansion on top of a hill), you can taste the ‘emergency’ state just by opening your mouth + sticking your tongue out. The developer agents (identifiable by their designer suits, always talking in their phone, and I don't know why, these agents are mostly female), on the other hand were acting as if they were in an art auction, + only if they were working for a really wealthy client who needed to decorate her new...

Post 57: Thesis update 14

2013-04-04T20:44:59-04:00

It's good to be productive once again. Yesterday was our last crit for the semester (there will be a series of final review, but no more public crit), + I, together with Prachi Kamdar—an elective from 2D Design dept.—volunteered to cook. Yes, brown Asian food night. I also cleaned after, so my day was done before I knew it.

Anyway, today I managed to stripped most electricity components in the car, resulting in swirling cables mound I consider as the beast's ‘intestines’.

I've decided to drop the manuals since a couple of days ago, so tomorrow will be whatever tomorrow brings.

#liltreasures series Day 14

Post 56: Thesis update 13

2013-04-02T23:22:46-04:00

#liltreasures series Day 13

I feel better.

Post 55: Thesis update 12

2013-04-01T22:35:42-04:00

#liltreasures series Day 12

Back to this again after 2 days concentrating on something else (I'll post something on it soon, I promise).

On SAAB, I'm really freaking out. This is really difficult.

Post 54: Thesis update 11

2013-03-30T19:22:10-04:00

#liltreasures series Day 11

Slow, really slow. Hard, really hard. I'm freaking freaking out.

Just sayin'.

Post 53: Thesis update 10

2013-03-29T18:45:03-04:00

The pile

Yesterday was an off-the-car day. I went to Home Depot + AutoZone to buy some needed tools first thing in the morning, but that was it. I needed to work on something else, a project that I cannot publish here yet. It's so exciting, though, I give you that. I hope I would be able to put it in this space for the near future.

Today, though, was kind of huge. The glass person came really early, earlier than my appointment actually. He didn't manage to take the windshield in one piece unbroken, but I'm still going to present it. After a one-on-one meeting with our Critical Studies fellow, Shannon Stratton of the threewalls fame, I jacked the car up to its current position with the help of, who else, Kurt, as expected, + took off the wheels, as planned.

Heavy stuffs are waiting right around the corner, now this is the real intestines of the dragon to disembowel. Keep your eyes peeled as the exciting part is about to happen.

#liltreasures series Day ...

Post 52: Thesis update 9

2013-03-27T21:45:40-04:00

#liltreasures Day 9

Tried to remove the windshield + other glass panes. Unsuccessfully. Ended up calling a glass store (that charges $100 per piece) to remove just the windshield. I'm keeping other glass panes in their respective places. Ending up removing a lot of leftovers from the sterring wheel + the whole sunroof. If this was any other day before, I would consider it productive. But not today. I feel behind.

It's funny how no matter who you are, working with (not too) heavy tools brings this ‘macho’ feeling inside you. A kind of feeling I'm trying not to do at all (that's why I don't do this SAAB project Gordon Matta-Clark would—either cut it with a chainsaw or wreck it with a tractor). It's like I wake up every morning feeling like a knight who has to disembowel a beasty dragon in order to kill it completely. The studio as my battleground. Weird.

Coming up: wheels et al.

Post 51: Thesis update 8

2013-03-26T19:40:21-04:00

Not specifically an eventful day. I managed finishing seat belts, security stuff that's left, + exterior sidings. I had to postpone glasses to tomorrow.

Can't help but to start thinking about presentation strategies.

#liltreasures Day 8

Post 50: Thesis update 7

2013-03-25T19:50:24-04:00

Seatings: the most challenging so far. But they're all gone in the end of the day. WIS rendered useless for this one, since most of the seats' electronic control were no longer working from the moment we bought the car. Access to joints were ridiculously difficult. I had to stop trusting the manual, + improvise, ending in the most rewarding experience so far.

#liltreasures Day 7

Next stop: seat belts, some leftover interior linings, + yes, glasses. Time to get ambitious.

Post 49: Thesis update 6

2013-03-24T23:11:07-04:00

Ripped off the dashboard + interior panels. ‘Interior’ section done. I think chairs or glasses are up next, but let's see tomorrow.

#liltreasures Day 6

Airbags

Post 48: weekend break | ‘YUM’ Forum Gallery entry (3)

2013-03-24T17:05:08-04:00

Installation

This work was done a while ago (last semester, to be exact). It's the third + final installation of my 3D Printing Forum Gallery Open Call series (the first can be found here, while the second one can't be published for several reasons).

Using the theme of the show (I translated it as ‘candies’), I downloaded Willy Wonka models in Google 3D Warehouse + Thingiverse, ending up using these three (this, this, + this) not-made-for-3D-printing by Jim Soler + this 3D-printing-ready two (this + this) by CreativeTools to create the series. I use food containers from grocery stores + fast-food chains as their base.

What interest me the most in doing these series are the errors (glitches) made by my MakerBot Replicator by force-printing these files. Working with the limitations a machine has is proven to be more rewarding for me than to pre-thought everything beforehand. Guess that's why I would never be a professional in this field.

And ...

Post 47: Thesis update 5

2013-03-24T13:45:38-04:00

All trimmings + most interior panels. The luggage has been stripped down completely.

I started Monday, on the end of day 5 (Saturday), this was the condition:

And the pile I've made:

Although I was too tired to do anything by the end of last night, I'll keep on trucking. Only a couple of weeks to go now… Crossed fingers.

#liltreasures Day 5

Post 46: Thesis update 4

2013-03-22T18:55:21-04:00

Got all the hinged parts, as planned. I haven't taken the windows + glass panes out though. According to WIS, it has to come later. But it's rewarding to do some un-making while everyone else is making stuff.

Progress

#liltreasures Day 4

Post 45: Thesis update 3

2013-03-21T20:16:01-04:00

A kind of slow day. I spent most of the days making trips to Home Depot. Plus, there are some elements of the AC that are unreachable + I needed to postpone working on them when it's time for me to work with either body +/or engine. Anyway, here are some picture updates from today:

#liltreasures Day 3

Post 44: Thesis update 2

2013-03-20T18:42:21-04:00

Second day. AC, I got most of them done but not all. Thinking to go to doors (maybe with trunk as well) next.

Last pictured condition.

Air conditioning stuff behind the glovebox (already removed), top: before, below: after

Dashboard panel with removed AC elements.

Last but not least, new series entitled ‘#liltreasures’ (sorry for the hashtag, it's meant for Instagram posts, yes, follow me for more rapid updates)—below are from Day 1 + Day 2, respectively.

Post 43: Thesis update 1

2013-03-19T15:49:55-04:00

Day 1: Mock up the 8' x 8' area, set-up cameras, begin dismantling (first components: the last ones according to the Workshop Information Systems (WIS)—plastic repairs).

What I got til now:

Next one: Air Conditioning (AC) system!

Post 42: ‘How I put a SAAB 9-3 into Cranbrook Art Museum’ (Degree Show piece)

2013-03-18T15:21:49-04:00

OK, apologies for the really long non-announced hiatus. Honestly, I have been busy with everything but school projects (well, some of it are school projects, but as you might already find out by now, I rarely make consumables—either objects or images, so there was nothing seductive enough to post for anyone to read). But as Degree Show is really creeping up on me (mark your calendar: member/invite-only opening on April 20th, but the show will be open up until May 12th), I am forced to get down + dirty again.

As the title of this post indicate, my self-explanatory piece will be called ‘How I put a SAAB 9-3 into Cranbrook Art Museum’. What you read is what you get.

It came about with me being really open towards every external factors there are (the BIG's dictum “YES IS MORE” taken to absurdity). Among others, these externalities are: my late scholarship fund that still renders me freaking broke, the breakdown of my beloved SAAB 9-3 (the car's manual gearbox blew in the begin...

Post 41: Gallery A for 2D Design crit

2012-12-03T11:59:00-05:00

Last Friday, Nov 30, I went through this semester's 2D Design crit (as an elective) that might be my last crit I've ever done in Cranbrook (crits for Second-years in Architecture are not advisable anymore. Fair enough, it's time to work… We should be in the spot where we don't need anymore crit, according to Bill), showing the progress of my on-going Gallery A project so far. I utilized several modes of presentation (website—on an iPad, Moleskin sketchbook, and map) in order to figure things out—what is it actually I am making here? If this is post-rationalization, these are the modes I use to rationalize this project.

Erica Mahinay (a fellow elective from Painting) wrote my review. Not even I could situate this work better for the time being. So without further ado, nor heavy editing from my part, here she comes:

Gallery A: 7 a.m.
Farid Rakun by Erica Mahinay

I have a confession. Time is my excuse… but still, as is the case with any confession, I am
embarrasse...