CREATIVE CAST
— PORTFOLIO
Architecture
Cast architectural models inhabit the fine line between art and architecture. Welcomed into homes as if they are sculptures, these once functional objects exist somewhere between inconclusiveness and completeness, and reach into our unconscious to provoke a multitude of interpretations. Does it have purpose? What does it represent? What is its scale? How was it made?
The enigma of cast objects, in particular scale models, has fascinated artists, craftsmen and collectors for centuries. Concrete or plaster casting has long been compared with archaeology or geology: Le Corbusier famously lined the formwork of his béton brut buildings with shells; Constantin Brâncuși, described the unconscious and archaeological dialogue between mould and cast.
To cast literally means to throw. To send something (forcefully) in a specified direction, but with an uncertain conclusion. The art of the craft lies more with designing what will not be there, than what will. It is the alchemical process of casting that transforms them from object to artefact.
Enjoy this meditation on moulds and casting by Justine Bell in Ark Journal VOL IV.
IMAGE (TOP) MARY DUGGAN ARCHITECTS, CAMPUS, plaster model 1:500
A ROOM WITH A VIEW
A diminutive wooden dwelling on stilts among forest trees focuses attention on interior details to heighten the contrast between its small scale and the vastness of nature.
CASE STUDY
— NEW FOLK
Whether using traditional or innovative materials, designers lean on the craft and expertise of former practitioners to carve, shape, mould or weave.
THE SHAPE OF LIGHT
— ARK X GUBI
In collaboration with Gubi, and to celebrate the brand’s new lighting collections, Ark Journal’s creative team produced a photo essay inspired by the Californian mid-century modern architectural style.
CREATIVE CAST — PORTFOLIO
Architecture
Cast architectural models inhabit the fine line between art and architecture. Welcomed into homes as if they are sculptures, these once functional objects exist somewhere between inconclusiveness and completeness, and reach into our unconscious to provoke a multitude of interpretations. Does it have purpose? What does it represent? What is its scale? How was it made?
The enigma of cast objects, in particular scale models, has fascinated artists, craftsmen and collectors for centuries. Concrete or plaster casting has long been compared with archaeology or geology: Le Corbusier famously lined the formwork of his béton brut buildings with shells; Constantin Brâncuși, described the unconscious and archaeological dialogue between mould and cast.
To cast literally means to throw. To send something (forcefully) in a specified direction, but with an uncertain conclusion. The art of the craft lies more with designing what will not be there, than what will. It is the alchemical process of casting that transforms them from object to artefact.
Enjoy this meditation on moulds and casting by Justine Bell in Ark Journal VOL IV.
IMAGE (TOP) MARY DUGGAN ARCHITECTS, CAMPUS, plaster model 1:500