The basis of these two drawings was to create something out of quantifiable data. As I am dealing with water and fluidity, I found it appropriate to research the average precipitation by month in New York City. The first drawing depicts both a graphical and volumetric relationship over a 12 month period. There is a link, month by month, leading to a final volume that represents the total precipitation for the year. There is continuity in that each month in turn effects the next month and subsequently the total.
The second drawing is of a stair. In essence it is a water stair made up of 12 treads cantilevered off a series of water canals. The treads are reservoirs that can hold a specific amount of water, any more than the desired amount will travel/spill into the following stair below. (The volumetric relationship from stair to stair correlates with the first drawing.) As I said, the stair is designed for a specific amount of water; as the water in the first stair meets its limit, the additional liquid travels into the next one. Once each stair is full, the design meets its capacity, any additional fluid constitutes flooding. The last basin is the measure of flooding.
The user (if ascending the stair) would place the heel of their foot on the front edge/nose of the tread and their toe on the back edge, straddling the water. It creates an experience of concentration if one is not to get wet.
A couple questions…
What does it mean to step in the water? The interaction of the user would cause accidental or intentional flooding. This in turn affects the specific amount of water desired to complete the sequence. What is the temperature of the water? What if the middle stair is emptied of water? The lower ones would be left undisturbed until the middle stair was refilled. How does the sound of the water change when it is flowing between two stairs or 10 stairs? Does the successive flow of water increase the speed of the water? And finally, does this represent a performative technique?
4 comments:
In terms of your stair, it seems like this is also a great 3-week exercise, like your fountain. They both were about the water being a fluid moving through very specific channels. In thinking about your first construct, you had to reach in the water and push something before it overflowed and 'flooded.' It seems in this stair, the user is not as important, and that it relies on 'mother nature' to fill and overflow each tread, or basin. So I am thinking that maybe there is a way that these treads may overflow themselves if there is no body or weight to press down on them to release some water. I think 'walking on water' could be investigated further. And most definitely, since you spent the time to record an annual rainfall, what happens when it freezes, ice stair? And is the enture stair enclosed except at the top, otherwise it wouldn't work, right?
both you and brian j. should look at hejduk's clock/ collapse of time project....
you should talk to allan wexler about his bucket/gutter detail...good project
i think the diagram is a good move...
however i think you are building too directly from the diagram.
or
go into the relationship of the foot to the stair...
little NYC water = little STAIR water = little tread = little foot ?
this stair would be uncomfortable for everybody because of the irregularity of the tread size as WELL (good word here) as the foot having to bridge this gap with the foot...
so you will be focused down while you move up...
what does this discomfort mean?
what does this focus mean?
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