Theater Making Design Space
We have been working to infuse our spaces with tools to support the work of our students and faculty, and specifically to amp up our design lab and our brand new technology maker's space. We are simultaneously making and building, reorganizing our spaces and giving them a facelift to incorporate the new materials we are acquiring through this grant. We have purchased tools that make it possible to make our courses hands on. Wig styling tools, cutting mats, model pieces and soldering stations have been integral both in classwork and in other projects outside the classroom. It is amazing to be able to offer students materials to sample and experiment with in our spaces.
This quarter we were able to utilize the maker spaces to support the creation of wearable art. Four students; a PhD in chemistry, a mechanical engineer, a student studying oceans and a costume designer, collaborated to create two garments for entry into the World of Wearable Art competition in New Zealand. The "Scubra" is a light up snorkel bra with an ocean scene incorporated into the mask. "Liquid Gold" is a honey themed garment exploring different patterns and textures of honeycomb and the bee world. Both projects involved intense research and development, learning materials that we have incorporated into our maker's spaces. We sampled thermoplastics, and foams, played around with 3D printing and laser cutting techniques to create the outer shell of the Scubra. We talked through chemical properties of plastic and silicone to create a honey-like skirt. Both garments involved old school techniques alongside newer tech-related ideas. We are delighted that "Liquid Gold" was selected to travel to New Zealand next week to be a part of the World of Wearable Art competition. These two projects are just a small part of what is happening in our spaces. We think this project exemplifies the spirit of Stanford art making and are so proud of the process and new knowledge we acquired. Design in TAPS is excited to continue our research, our making, and our development of these spaces.
