As I am a big believer in the materiality of a product being essential to how we feel about it, I have been thinking a lot about which material would be suitable for my project. I took a trip to Material Connexions, where they have one of the biggest material libraries to find materials that would be delicious to touch, or that change shape when a current is passed through. I have been very interested in using electroactive polymers, but they are difficult to find and very expensive. The material expands and contracts about 300%, which is fascinating and could be used for interesting kinetic constellations.
Below are some of the materials and processes I found particularly interesting for my project, one of them being a flexible PLA that you can 3D print with!
I have also for the first time worked with casting and different types of clay. Clay is good for many reasons - it is a quick prototyping tool, it gives you great creative freedom, and it's got inherent sculptural qualities that I would like to reflect in my project. I started preparing my prototypes using clay and casting techniques to get a feel for the material.
