JONATHAN !GREER LEARNING PORTFOLIO

Icebreaker 1 iteration

A Well-Considered & Well- Crafted Thing Of Beauty:

Abstract Model making 6 iterations

A Well-Considered & Well- Crafted Thing Of Beauty:

Collage Studies 5 iterations

A Well-Considered & Well-Crafted Thing Of Beauty: Continuation Of Abstract Model Making Iterations 7&8

Mobile Sculpture: A Study Of Self, Time, Place, & Space Investigation Gesture Drawing 9 iterations

Icebreaker For the Icebreaker

exercise I analyized the core inspirations within myself in specific detail. It was very insightful to consider the detailed aspect of my life that our of true impact on an emotional level. As a open design to express These inspirations; I went ahead and designed it as a box that punctures from the wall and when dissected is interconnected by placement of relationship with specified parts that have acted on others creating a emphasis to all other inspirations.

My inspirations were of nature, which was specified into my passion for gardening; Music, to a paticular composition by Tagaki Masakatsu’s – New Flat; Art, into my favorite Japanese wood block by Hiroshi Yoshida’s – Calm Wind-

My family, stemmed into separate inspirations, my mother and father whom are a inspiration in an oppositional way and my grandmother whom is placed in the middle as the primary relationship to all inspirations. Gained from my grandmothers influence to me and words that have been expressed as words I stand by, “If you want something bad enough you have to work hard for it.”

Quercus muehlenbergii, the chinkapin oak (or chinquapin oak)

“A well-crafted & well-considered thing of beauty” the projects intention was to take a specific inspiration and create an abstract artifact that takes the very essence of it’s remains and represent the beauty of the object without actually being obvious.

After much thought, the North American eastern tree called the “Chinquapin Oak" was my selection. It symbolizes a lot of my own virtues; it thrives in soil where limestone is found, it’s expected to live a short life, at a young age it can go without much sun, but in adult years needs it to thrive. It sprouts acorns come fall that are sweet and edible by both animals and humans and must be aware of its biggest enemy the gypsy moth whom thrive when it defoliates.

Iteration 1

In my first iteration I wanted to capture the relationship that co-exist in the structure of the tree and the leaves.

I Also wanted to express the types of characteristics that are represented within a tree, the aging of the bark, the weight and It’s variations in proportions and the values that range from season to season.

The material used were manufactured raw paper (recovered off of bailers of paper bags which are separated by these), glue and acrylic colors (mixed): blue, yellow, green, and white.

In reflection, The design was to have the body of the tree thrust threw the middle of leaf skeleton that penetrates threw the trunk, creating a bridge between the two.

I spent to much time on creating the tree trunk that was over saturated by to many coats of brown, which than made the detail washed out. This also gave less time to focus on the design itself which should have been more primary. I had not researched enough and also not discovered my chinquapin oak tree which made it hard to specify the dualities intended.

Iteration 2

In my second iteration with I wanted to capture the deconstruction and character that is embodied by the chinquapin oak tree. For this abstract iteration I focused on movement at my primary, arch and direction as my secondary, and the compression of the material itself as the tertiary.

The material used were manufactured raw paper (recovered off of bailers of paper bags which are separated by these) variation in thickness of 3, 5, and 7, with the length of 7inches, and glue.

Also taking “Fabaino theory” which emphasizes that all things in nature relate to certain principal of geometric order and applying that to the layers of raw paper glued in different thicknesses.

In reflection, realized certain limitations with certain adhesive glues and with certain geometry order that is unfamiliar. Even though threw this trails; I was able to become more organized and create more relationship to the values. From playing with the material and giving myself more time was able to allow the vision to evolve regardless of design or material restrictions.

Iteration 3

In the third iteration, my intention was to focus more on the order and organization of the model. To emphasize on repetition and the direction.

The material used were manufactured raw paper (recovered off of bailers of paper bags which are separated by these) with thickness of 3,4,5 and gradual in length from eight, quarter, half inches, and glue.

In reflection, From emphasizing on only repetition and direction the relationship of primary, secondary and tertiary got lost in the symmetry of the iteration. What was gained were the planning and preparation; I spent time building a model before I built this iteration. This helped me in understanding the importance of “play” to try out thoughts, and be effective to seeing possibilities of my design and applying them.

Iteration 4

In iteration 4 I wanted to re emphasize on the relationship and network of the primary, secondary, and tertiary. By creating separate pieces and bringing them together to create the primary. With the different geometric lengths create the secondary. The space and repetition embodied the tertiary.

The material used were manufactured raw paper (recovered off of bailers of paper bags which are separated by these) with layers of 3 and gradually sized by a quarter to a half size by individual pieces, and glue.

In Reflection, creating separate pieces were a advantage to its composition. The intersection gave for a better relationship but threw complexity the relationship became lost. In the hierarchy there was a gain of implied converging purpose to the iteration. The intention was to create 2 separate pieces and to have them interact as the wind interacts with a chinquapin oak tree.  

The 2 pieces are the external force (wind) and the relationship they have becomes the internal skeleton (tree.)

Iteration 5

The purpose in the fifth iteration was to find a relationship in 3 external pieces and how when implied, converge the skeleton as it transitions into it’s skin and make it the primary, as the secondary is the skeleton distorted in intervals, and the tertiary is seen through “fabaino theory”- layers that are in movement internally.

The material used were manufactured raw paper (recovered off of bailers of paper bags which are separated by these), layers of 4,5,6 and glue.

In reflection, without proper time management was unable to finish the project. Which was another learning lesson to be aware of the time it should take and where and what becomes of more value in the design if and when something can not be finish to express it’s purpose most. This iteration had a very important implication for me, that by making the material, I, lose more time emphasizing the design and that it was time to simplify the construction of material so that I can truly focus on it’s design.

Iteration 6

For iteration 6 with the introduction of new material allowed the model to evolve into a complex, organized, and well crafted thing of beauty. As the primary became more reconfigured as a relationship between the old material with the new material, the secondary as the 2 materials converge together intersecting and building on the skin of the primary as the skeleton, and the tertiary that compromised of the newly added material to create grace and elegant complexity.

The material used were manufactured raw paper (recovered off of bailers of paper bags which are separated by these), new added materials of chipboard (which layered to the raw paper), bass wood in various thicknesses, and glue.

In reflection, this iteration proved to be my strongest.

The emphasis of my design truly blossomed into something beautiful that the chinquapin oak tree resembles, whimsical by the curvilinear lines , a sense of direction, and this sense of dominance by the raw paper to the bass wood; the stronger hard material become the lighter more rhythmic piece, as the lighter raw paper becomes the rigid and stronger material.

Collage 1

In Collage one was an attempt to simplify the order of the complexity of my iterations in different scales of 3 dimensions into something of 2 dimensional landscape. The focal point of this iteration was to capture location and movement. Juxtaposing the dualities of the scale of small linear lines and enlarging them into the foreground give them a presence.

The process was over 200 photos from all landscape point of view, above, and below in 360 degree angles as well as details views of different linear lines detail and vanishing points. This than also was touched up in preview and printed over 300 copies. Next, was the process of elimination, photographs that could be related throughout all six iterations by oversaturation, weak in contrast, and lack the vitally of representing any complexity or clarity. To narrow it even further, selecting photographs that had certain relationships, cutting them and than playing with curvilinear lines, alignment, center points, vanishing points, proportions, intervals, displacements, and there intention. After settling and discarding certain elements glued what represented the best 2 dimensions of the 3 dimension iteration.

In reflection, realized that what is important in 3 dimension is vital in 2 dimensions with a larger primary to give shape, secondary that allows for skeleton or depth to develop, and tertiary that give for the complexity and dynamic to the collage. For this first iteration felt that it lacked such complexity through the larger photographs and the color affected judgment to it’s secondary properties, but that it achieved a primary skin.

Collage 2

For collage two I wanted to have a singular center point which all elements stemmed from. This allowed for certain displacements of the center point and gave solely a hierarchical importance to this center point. Using my 6th iteration because of its clarity and material relationship.

The process was over 200 photos from all landscape point of view, above, and below in 360 degree angles as well as details views of different linear lines detail and vanishing points. This than also was touched up in preview and printed over 300 copies. Next, was the process of elimination, photographs that could be related throughout all six iterations by oversaturation, weak contrast, and lack the vitally of representing any complexity or clarity. To narrow it even further, selecting photographs that had certain relationships, cutting them and than playing with curvilinear lines, alignment, center points, vanishing points, proportions, intervals, displacements, and there intention. After settling and discarding certain elements glued what represented the best 2 dimensions of the 3 dimension iteration.

In Reflection, the collage become more artistic than designed. It had achieved a singular vanishing point but lacked primary, secondary, and only seemed to have tertiary. This Collage felt as though a step back and from to complex, less elements are needed with repetition, and different scales of selected elements.

Collage 3

In collage three started to narrow paticular elements from my iterations. I noticed that with iterations 4,5, and 6 their were relationships that were constantly becoming apparent and simplified it to these three. After minimal zing the elements started to repetition certain elements that stemmed from two center point one in the upper left corner and one in the center. After this process began to create alignments and constructive lines to these center points. The intention was to have a lighter secondary transition by the second center point creating a transition of the elements into more depth and solid linear lines.

The process was to narrow the elements used by their relationship to one another. After the elements were made, began to find repetitive order and to apply this in center center points, alignments, intervals, and constructive lines. To further narrow these elements by cutting them and finding their placement and eliminating any further elements that might not thrive the order.

In reflection, the collage became to homogeneous and lacked certain simplified alignments that I wanted to achieve in my first collage. It did however, hold a more complex and simplified tertiary component, and the creation of a primary component. The secondary wasn’t as visible as it could’ve been within the transition. The elements need to be simplified further, more repetitive, and finally eliminate color to focus on the elements themselves.

Collage 4

For collage four I focused on function of repetition and the primary body than on secondary and tertiary. Simplified the elements by scale, converting them to black and white, and qualities that were lost in the previous iteration through its complexity. By creating a denser foreground that the center point comes from in the upper left hand corner, was able to create alignments, axial relationships, and proportions between the lighter elements and the transition of where the intersected with the denser foreground element.

The process were after tracing over collage 3 and taking 20 photos that have shown to have certain relationship values from iterations 4,5,6 and than converting them to black and white photographs. After eliminating certain photographs that have shown to condense rather than allow the elements to breathe made different scales of each. With another process of elimination pick three paticular elements that have shown to be most vital and consistent in the past 3 collages.

In reflection, this collage shows a solid design direction through alignment, axial relationship, center point, proportions of lighter to denser elements. Although it lacks a more dynamic primary, it proves to be a stronger collage relative to collage one. The next collage should have more organization, so that it creates a relationship with intention to the function of the primary, secondary, and tertiary.

Collage 5

For collage five the intention was to take the 3 elements that we’re selected and to re organize them in a manner that creates a more dynamic collage. By adding more repetitive elements to the collage and orientating them in a way that would best represent a primary to the secondary and tertiary elements.

The process were after tracing over collage 3 and taking 20 photos that have shown to have certain relationship values from iterations 4,5,6 and than converting them to black and white photographs. After eliminating certain photographs that have shown to condense rather than allow the elements to breathe made different scales of each. With another process of elimination pick three paticular elements that have shown to be most vital and consistent in the past 3 collages.

In reflection, from applying more repetition in bigger scales, displaced alignments, proportions, and the relationship between them. Adding to much complexity regardless of its repetition made the collage to scattered and was a step back from collage 4. Applying more trace to implement the alignments, the proportions, and their relationships were lacked from the previous collage which proved to be essential in transitioning those dualities into the following collage. More focus on the intention of what exist and understanding its function within the 2 dimension of collage.

Iteration 7

Returning to Constructions, I continued to use only the new material that was introduced from iteration 6. The intention of refreshing and to allow more experience with newer materials. The materials were basswood, small and thin strains, and glue from glue gun. Small strains turned out to be flexible, but fragile and breakable. The was to create a network between all forces, which yielded to the sky in a heroism attempt.

What I learned is that with a entirely re-introduced factor of constructing models along with a highly new material scheme, lead to being disorganized, confusing, and to complex.

Every time being introduced to a new material, scale, and after a period has passed, conclude that I tend to always be a bit dis-organized in my attempt and need to further clarify my models and my intent.

The iteration lacked in a frame and further forms of repetition. Although it lacked various characteristics; it gained significant shadows in place, reflecting the memories that might ensue with time as light passes.

Iteration 8

For my 8th iteration I kept with the intention heroism, strength, journey. For materials I used bass wood, various thickness, lengths, and glue (glue gun.) What was better represented in iteration 8 was the organization of material to create tertiary 1, 2, and 3.

Tertiary 1 was to convey the heroism shooting into the air. Although this was the intention it was not was exaggerated enough to convey such a heroic sense. I would need to for next be more repetitive with it so that it would of have risen to the air more defiantly.

Tertiary 2 was the the combination of the thin layers of wood to the harder surface bass wood material. This was intended to solidify strength and and the journey, a sort of unraveling of the relationship between and how they are related in almost all aspect. This gave a great success to being tertiary 2 as it developed a skin the body. It would have been better if I would've actually attached the thin wooden layer to the thick sheets of bass wood to make this connection.

Lastly the 3 tertiary factor is the glue itself; It’s what holds all factors of heroism, strength, and Journey. This was a unexpected success. It became the detail that bound the intent together.

From iteration 7, iteration 8 turned out better, not because better intent behind it but also because it was organized, and because of that made it more dynamic through its repetitive state.

Mobile Sculpture: Study Of Self, Time, Place, & Space!Investigation

Mobile-[moh-buhl, -beel or, especially Brit., -bahyl] adjective.

Capable of moving or being moved readily. Flowing freely, as a liquid

What I wish to express in my mobile project is to establish a stable navigation in heroic proportion creating a compositional relationship between larger than life static qualities and versatile ones that take you on a journey through the interior as well as the exterior.

As you approach the mobile I want to establish a aspect of curiosity, where space is established based and where components are at different times; becoming visible as others become invisible, so you must move around the mobile or the mobile to move around you because from ever focal point a new space is seen and a new space is established at different times.

This will be a challenge, but keeping the design simple and light might prove to be beneficial for its success.

My expectations for the site are to be windy, natural light, and different weather patterns and strains that would or could cause my model to break, weathered, and be devoured by natural elements. Aesthetics of the site are concrete, hard surfaces which hanging the mobile could be a problem as well. This imposes that the mobile be made stable, readable, and has the proper tension and support needed to withstand these natural elements.

The expression I want to establish with the site as well as with the mobile is to express from a light organic abstract model the triumph of its physics, of its site, to defy gravity, to define the confines and strains of the natural elements, but to take in those stress and it than becomes its own self amongst the environment, apart of it that is something entire different because of it, heroism, in the midst of chaos, defying place, gravity, and conditions, the contrast of a floating moving object in a weighted heavy environment.

Index

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ve6PTrlLGOU&feature=fvwrel

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/mobile

http://wings.avkids.com/Book/Animals/Images/wing_diagram.gif

http://www.asknature.org/product/20015e39f852cfc1382828afef82b916

http://www.origami.com/diagram.html

http://www.asknature.org/product/b6fe2dc6f09b0ec682ecd3980cfeaa8a

http://www.asknature.org/strategy/f013ccf3f985621ae49a589117a9fa98

http://fora.tv/2010/10/26/Lera_Boroditsky_How_Language_Shapes_Thought

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDAgg7f0Ftk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GClT5dhniIw&feature=related

http://www.paulnoll.com/Oregon/Birds/flight-hovering-diagram.html

jeb.biologists.org/content/25/4/322.full.pdf

http://www.phys.unsw.edu.au/~jw/sailing.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sail

http://www-scf.usc.edu/~tchklovs/Proposal.htm

http://www.asknature.org/product/dd0648940077b68055b2a01cac1f50cc

http://www.asknature.org/strategy/ea9a7c1c35864b034886fb22c7c88e2e

http://www.idemployee.id.tue.nl/p.j.f.peters/kites/fak/science/kite.aerodynamics.html

Gesture Drawing

The in intention for gesture drawing was to embark on combining the act of expression into a mark. This was to collect, express, and harmonize our emotions to a intention to a word and our mobile sculpture.

After investigating and doing research this was another stage to connect and to engage ourselves with concepts and idea of our project.

In my first attempt I connected the factor that I had original sought out to investigate of myself. These were: Heroic, Tension, and defiant.

I felt that these embody myself very well; they can all be interchangeable with tension in life comes defiant and the act of heroism can take place and from that act tension can re occur and than you can become defiant once again.

As for my gesture drawing more investigation needs to occur and express between intent and gesture need practice to become full harmonized as one in the same.

Through the mobile creation, many issues have developed in the mechanics of the project, their

development have made me realize the vital importance of life in it’s existence, a physical state of how things are

delicate in our world. "

When I was 3 years old I had my first experience with the delicateness of life, I was hit by a car in a head on collision on my big wheel; I was thankful to survive such a force and to still exists and be able to be resilient enough for survival. The outlook for the incident has paved a road

of how I view life as a appreciation for everyday in a for granted world of assumed immortality. "

People today have lost how dynamic and complicated it is, existence, is being lost and becoming a

out of reach idea in a complicated and distracted industrial life. Where external forces are applied everyday, we lose a sense of ourselves, our environment, and also our lives."

This presence occurs when we disregard our existence with the external forces and in a lot of ways take

the aspect of living for granted. The mobile represents through countless mechanical problems to find solutions,

so that it can exist and bring the elements of survival, struggle, and surpass them and try to live upon the

external elements we have seemed to forgotten.

Mobile Narrative 1

Iteration 1- 7!Small Scale !

to Scale Small scale iterations 1-7 the intention was to

take what was investigated/researched, written through discovery and narrative, and gesture drawing and start to construct the small scale factors of my mobile sculpture.

Materials used were various to small scale iterations, but experimenting with new measures. Different thickness of basalt wood, bass wood, wire, industrial grade paper, glue. Tools used were hand drill, various sizes of drill bits, multiple heavy duty xacto knifes, crimps, rubber ended stoppers, and wire cutters.

The introduction to not only new material and uses but also to tools was difficult. Making buttresses without glue and the mechanics involved with such little experience made it very difficult. Pictured above are 4 of the 7 iterations. This is due to 3 which were better modeled mechanics to the one on the far right, broke due to material and the small scale they were built at.

This was possibly the more depressing factor of the mobile structure construction. I became fixated on certain physics and mechanics and due to this, lost the better half of construction.

The benefit from this though was the fact that I realized that I am only human and that with experience and time we craft better and understand better.

Iteration 8 After breaking down from iteration my mobile sculpture small scale mechanics. I decided to simplify my sculpture but to intersect with a more dynamic narrative that is more intense and reflect more of who I am.

Materials used were Materials used were various to small scale iterations, but experimenting with new measures. Different thickness of basalt wood, bass wood, wire, industrial grade paper, glue. Tools used were hand drill, various sizes of drill bits, multiple heavy duty xacto knifes, crimps, rubber ended stoppers, and wire cutters.

This is where I realized one of my bigger problems, my craft to scale and my lack of resources due to time and money to a workshop and tools.

When I brought my mobile sculpture for the first time to the site it started to breakdown and fall apart, this was due to the glue I had urgently used in a panic. Due to my un familiarness to using connections that were not anything but glue, enabled me to when built in to scale to construct it so it wouldn’t fall apart.

This became another breakdown, for I had to rebuild my full scale without the use of glue and learn construction without connections quickly.

Iteration 9!Final Narrative

Robert Frost once said, “the only way out is through” I picked this quote because it reflects myself well and the stages of emotions We all face at certain times in our lives, we reflect upon and gain a sense of renewal from them, becoming better people and more grounded as we persevere.

Each level relates to a certain emotion that I’ve encountered in a cycle that renews my sense of self. Sadness, Defeat, and Triumph, tied together, they are all one in the same in my emotional process switching in time and conflict.

Each wind scoop resembles certain memories that are more definitive to the emotion expressed and are carried through and reflected on as I go through this cycle. Keeping me grounded, aware and reminding me who am I, and where I’m going, they are the echoes that are in the back of my mind. The external forces that I have no control over activate these memories that have reflected me in the past, present, and the future.

Sadness When I was 8 I found my parents drugs in their room, and even at

the time I didn’t know what it was I knew it wasn’t good. The entirety of my parents relationship, the beatings, the rides in

police cars, and the dramatic affects it has left on me as a weight of what not to be and to detach myself emotionally from them.

Defeat At age 3 I was hit head on by a van; remember fragments, but

always see it as a dramatic realization of my lack of abilities and control over things in life.

At the age of 18 I had to confront my dad about his drug use and he denied that it had any affect on me.

Triumph When I moved away from home at 18, so that I could pursue a better

life for myself than the one that had been paved for me. My ability to accept where I am and to preserve; against all odds,

regardless of the conditions, at the age of 25 I'm bond to these, reflecting as time passes, as this grass grows and

dies, it will be renewed and sprout again and so will I.

Materials used were various to small scale iterations, but experimenting with new measures. Different thickness of basalt wood, bass wood, thread,

industrial grade paper, glue. Tools used were hand drill, various sizes of drill bits, multiple heavy duty xacto knifes, crimps, rubber ended stoppers, and

needle."

With stress of time I wasn’t able to finish the skin of the mobile sculpture, after trying a few

different method I settled with thread because all the mini nails I got didn’t work well with thin bass wood. "

Although I was able to construct in a timely manner and accomplish the mobile sculpture in time, it

lacked the ability to connect with the site, and was not expressive enough relating to the narrative. "

With more time, money, materials, tools, workshop, and my fixated investigations I would’ve had a more

constructed and managed mobile. "

Although the final mobile sculpture was not everything that it embodied in the narrative or the hours spent on all the iterations in small scale, it

worked. The mobile also, if in time, had a good start and felt confident what direction I was going with it. "

Overall, I need to work on engage not just my emotions and than my concepts, but I need to

embrace them as one of the same. My intention is emotional and my emotions can be expressed

through intent, and in time and trials and errors will become one of the same as I learn and gain more

experience to triumph forward and relate it and make it beautiful as well as readable. "

Acknowledgements To construct is to in vision, it’s to express, and its to explore. Intention and my abilities

were a lot of what I experienced this semester. I stepped into a lot of emotional places, pushed myself to very sensitive emotional points, breakdowns, and depressions.

Regardless, a lot of beautiful things happened, where every breathe of success or failure to understanding, there was some life restored and some new knowledge given.

It’s easy to express what’s wrong and what isn’t right, but mortality is we live and we die; so as much as we only see what it isn’t we also lack to see what it could be. The adventure that brings us to these conclusions or to these ends are what we remember the most, not the moment we get there, that’s a factor of relief.

What I learned of myself is of many things, how to be critical in conceptualization, intent to design, why and why not? My lack of craft, but my lack of determination and abilities to pull through. The intensity and beauty that is achieved from such volumes of demand and stress, how everything feels alive, over and over again.

I’ve learned that I need to be less destructive to myself when I reflect on what I’m doing and just know, I am human. I have a many challenges to walk and many failures ahead; but regardless of it all, I will reflect and remember the success as one should, express it as best as I could, so that one day I can express it better, more relatable or not relatable enough.

Ones life is not spent fixated to one thing at all times, only if you wish to be.

I can’t describe really how I feel about what I’ve done and gone through, but I do see past the frustration, anger, depression, and breakdowns, knowing that I really experienced, witnessed, and learned a lot of myself and others and the abilities one has to really challenge themselves and do something extraordinary, even if its scale is to small to see.

-Jonathan Greer

Special Thanks to Jerry Lum who lead to these thoughts and words.