Predator, Greg Lynn AD Vol 72 No. 1 January 2002

PROject

In their collaborative project, Greg Lynn and Fabian Marcaccio explore architectural concepts of scale in space, program, material and ambient effects. The result is a plastic sculpture which due to its lack of an interior space and an exterior space accomplishes nothing. The placement of the object in the site of the Wexner Center in Ohio is argued to create interesting spaces around, not to mention the piece itself if and interesting installation.

I don’t like it. It looks awfull.

PROcess

Through the process of applying an interpretation of the spatial dimensionality of the two dimensional painting to an unfolded surface, (its design origin has yet to be determined) an attempt to explore manufacturing technologies and methods were considered relevant to this project.

Simply stated, “the alien organism as architecture was designed digitally with animation software which produced many variations prior to the ACTUALISATION of a specific form.”

I can only assume the chosen variation was selected due to its aesthetic properties and anticipated possibilities. The design process focuses on an abstract animation of both the act of painting and the painting composition itself.

It is noted that the organization of the painting provided the data for the generation of the object. “Fabian’s painting in black and white was used as a displacement map to generate ideas for different effects.”

MANufacture

There are tree stages to the manufacturing of this project. First, the form is created with vacuumed formed transparent plastic. Second, images of the original painting are printed onto the form. Third, an additional application of paint was layered onto the form. The resulting object produces interesting light patterns and gradients due to the passing of light through the three layers of properties applied to the translucent plastic. This sounds rather grotesque but it is not suppose to be a fixture, furniture or wall, but rather a study the layering affect they produced.

The manufacturing of the form was not limited but ordered by the manufacturing of components limited by the 3-axis milling machine. They were constructed in pieces and assembled together to make the whole.

CONclusion

At first glance the project itself appears as if it was constructed in a hap hazard manner and is very messy. A closer look will reveal the a well crafted and constructed form with great attention to textural detail. The painted surface does seem to be forced over the milled plastic form and jumps the gaps where manufactured slits were cut out. As a whole I cannot say this project has provided new incites in Material properties, special exploration and organization, I have not experience this installation at the Wexner center.