Sketch Furniture by FRONT
October 28, 2006 | Senay TOPCUOGLU
Is it possible to let a first sketch become an object, to design directly onto space? The four FRONT members have developed a method to materialise free hand sketches. They make it possible by using a unique method where two advanced techniques are combined. Pen strokes made in the air are recorded with Motion Capture and become 3D digital files; these are then materialised through Rapid Prototyping into real pieces of furniture. See the movie of the process of making a sketch into a piece of furniture in just one pen stroke.
The Swedish design group FRONT has been working in Japan since September. During this time they have developed and explored the technique they used in the making of Sketch Furniture which they showed in Art Basel Miami / Design with Barry Friedman Gallery Ltd (New York).
Front make design as a performance. During Tokyo Design week they will show the process of making Sketch Furniture and the final pieces of furniture at Tokyo Wonder Site 31 October - 5 November. http://www.tokyo-ws.org .
Motion Capture is a technique that translates motions into 3D-files. Motion capture is mostly used for animations in movies and computer games. Front have used the technique to simply record the tip of a pen when they draw pieces of furniture in the air.
Rapid Prototyping is a technique that materialises 3D-fi les. A laser beam builds the 3D-fi le layer by layer within a liquid plastic material. Every 0.1mm the liquid harden by a laser beam. After a few hours, the 3Dfiles come out as materialised pieces.
About Front
Front is a design group of four: Sofia Lagerkvist, Charlotte von der Lancken, Anna Lindgren and Katja Sävström. They work as a group where all members are involved in the design process from initial discussions and ideas to final product. Their works are based on common discussions, exploring and investigations about different topics. And the final products often communicates a story to the observer about the design process, about conventions within the product field or about the material it is made of.
Since the start in 2003 they have done for example a collection of furniture in collaboration with different animals, a collection of products where a part of the design were determined by external factors, a constantly changing interiour, an investigation about the other functions of products and products that only exsist in a computer game.
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