From the class Space and Materiality · Fall 2019
As I settle into life in my first year at Parsons, I carry my sketch wallet with me everywhere that I go. It ties me back to many things in my life and holds so many fond memories for me. Within it I keep poems and drawings done for me along with a sketchbook of my own that strongly reflects my everyday journey in life. I have already filled up one of these sketchbooks and would like to enshrine it and protect it from any harm along with all of the memories held within it, happy or sad.
To create a vessel to encase this mini sketchbook I chose to work with zip ties. I tried doing research on making forms with zip ties but could not find much precedence so I was excited to experiment. My pattern used to weave the vessel was largely inspired by the pattern used to make a simple cable organizer out of zip ties. The idea of weaving also came from an existing organization tool called a Grid-It. I intended to make a sort of book sock for my sketchbook and largely drew inspiration from that existing vessel used to protect large paperback books. For my color scheme, I was inspired by an old ski windbreaker that I got from my father that is obnoxious in the best way possible!
Creating this vessel originally was kind of an off-of-a-whim idea that truly evolved. Beforehand I felt a connection to my sketchbook and wallet but now its meaning for me has increased exponentially! I never realized how personal all of my drawings were and also just seeing how I evolved as an artist. I also learned a lot about my chosen material of zip ties. One technique that came in super handy was using nail clippers to snip off the tails of the zip ties, leaving a flush soft finish that won’t scratch any users or important belongings. I also learned that zip ties can be undone by pressing a little tab that ratchets along with the teeth on the tail. While building this I felt a duty to the product itself to do it in the best way possible and to finish it as soon as possible. I did not feel this duty because of the class or the deadline but only because of the activity itself. This is a value strongly discussed within the book I just read, “Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry into the Value of Work”.
In the future, I would like to add a soft lining to the inside of my vessel and reinforce the sides by closing them up more, possibly adding a cover for the top too. This vessel will now live out the rest of its life tied to the side of my desk.
Copied from my Learning Portfolio: Project 1: Precious Object (September 20, 2019).