BUILDOUT // A COLLABORATIVE ART PROJECT

// AWARDED // PROJECT CREATIVE LEAD // DIRECTION // DESIGN // 3D // ANIMATION // SCULPTURE // IDEATION

// DESCRIPTION

BuildOut was an amazing Collaborative Art Project that I was asked to be a part of as the Lead 3D Visualization Artist working closely with the brillant team at Small Bands of Misbehavior - Courtenay Williams and Kai Lee. These kickass fabrication specialists and all around visual masters created physical versions of my 3D sculptures as they brought their own vision to the real world iterations of each sculpture. We utilized 3D printing techniques to make a few prototypes before working in larger scales with more expensive final materials. At the same time, a digitized versions of the sculptures extracted from my 3D files were presented to users online. We created 5 unique pieces that cleverly interconnected and created a larger 3x3 grid sculpture that looked great no matter how you placed them. Each set of 5 pieces fit into a design theme which changed every 2 weeks for 8 weeks total. Users were incentivized to play with the pieces and submit their unique sculptures with the chance to have their sculpture built in the real world by Kai and Courtenay. Each entry also gave them a chance to win various prizes.

The entire collaboration was beautifully captured by the crew at Underscore Films. They spent a lot of time with us shooting every detail in a masterful way and really brought the journey to life. So thankful for their excellent story telling skills that allow me to share this epic several month journey I took with all of these driven fellow creatives. Special thanks to Ders Hallgren for bringing Creative Direction to the entire project and having the vision to place all of the artists that were involved together enabling us to create what we did. It truly was a collaborative unlike anything I've ever experienced.

// WEEK 1 THEME

"Under Construction"

The first theme was perhaps the most enjoyable to design. As the theme name "Under Construction" alludes, the design for this set of sculptures speak to the curvilinear and structural aspects of architecture and utilizes shapes like stairwells and interlocking elements. There is a sturdness to the pieces but also a light elegance. The materials are all pulled from contemporary architectural finishes and were skillfully recreated by the Fabrication team in the real world. It was a real treat to see the techniques they used to bring my 3D scupltures to life. It got the entire team excited for the other themes we'd be designing in the weeks to come and set the tone for the rest of the entire collaborative effort.

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// WEEK 2 THEME

"Natural Dimensions"

This theme had a special place in my heart. I went through several types of natural obvjects before netting out with these elements. There was a zen quality that I sturck once I set the floor to look like water making all the sculptures feel like they were floating. I feel like this one really made itself once I set up a few starting elements. The birch tree trunks and the mountain that fits no matter which way you turn it was a personal favorite in this theme.

// WEEK 3 THEME

"Twist & Turn"

As the name implies, this theme focused on curved elements that rolled from one shep into another. Each piece slopes and disipates in the ground which makes them sit together as a cohesive sculpture no matter how you place theme. Some of the shapes became almost maze-like. This was a challenging theme to design for but I feel one of the most successful.

// WEEK 4 THEME

"Tech_Nique"

Taking a circuit board as inspiration, I devised these shapes for the Tech_Nique theme which fit together much like the components found on a modern motherboard. I had a lot of fun with this theme. There was a very technical aspect to these pieces as I devised LED patterns and interwoven light tubes but aslo a structural curvilinear elegance that let each piece flow into the next. I can't get enough of this look.

// PROCESS

Pitch Frames - Architectural

The initial Pitch for this project involved me coming up with the mechanic of how this Collaborative Art Project would become something random online users could participate in. I knew the main task was to create interactive shapes that could be placed together to make larger sculptures that were different every time. Although we settled on the 3x3 grid with pieces turning in 90 degree increments in the end, these initial frames show an even more ambitious idea that I lead the charge with which would have been very cool, but ultimately too technically challenging to bring to a digital space in the time we had. Still felt they were worth showing and one day I hope to sculpt one of them in a large format and put on display.

// PROCESS

Pitch Frames - Organic

The Organic look had a slightly different style and in this look I began experimenting with stacking the sculptures and inverting them on the ceiling to see that would bring to the final look. I was inspired by the natural art of Andy Goldsworthy and the clean aesthetic of Japanese Zen Gardens. These frames created some interesting back and forth converstaion between us and the client and got us all thinking about the endless possibilites we had out in front of us. Would love to build on of these in a large scale format one day as well.