White Chaos
October 2019
In this quick design project, I was inspired by the postmodernist artist Robert Morris, one of the central figures of Minimalism, and his ideas on the artistic process of Anti-form or Process Art and relevant sculpture work.
Stage 1: The Paper Strips
I stapled leftover paper strips to create fluid and tangled models that do not have a definite form. I placed the strips on a flat surface to tumble in an arbitrary way. Thin paper strips are light enough to tumble in a more fluid way, without rigid edges and fixed geometry. Every time when put on the surface, a new shape forms naturally, looking different from different angles, revealing the flexible nature of the material. The tangled aspect portrays a chaotic atmosphere, confusion and disorder. The chaos is inevitable, even though it is “white,” which symbolizes purity and innocence. The white color of the central figure made up of paper strips is juxtaposed with a black background, adding to the theme of white chaos or light vs. dark.
Stage 2: The Lamp
I then used reflective aluminum tape material and created a similar design, which could be used as a lamp. Under natural lighting conditions, the tangled and folded material reflects light more or less at different angles, with some parts in the shadow. I then placed a lightbulb at the center as a light source to shine and reflect. The light comes from the inside, illuminates the surrounding environment, and reflects from the aluminum material in oranges and yellows. The concept or presence of "light” creates a contrast with the chaotic design and adds to the light vs. dark theme. Yet, shining light or illumination represents hope, warmth, and healing, standing in the way of chaos and disorder as a powerful tool.
