jayroop

i’m elated to report that my rocks have made it through the first firing! after finally figuring out how to mix my porcelain, thanks to my friends eszti + noriko, i cast the rocks… more or less successfully!

the photo above is the current state of the rocks. the pin holes were a suggestion by my girlfriend, min, and i will expand upon the idea once returning from vacation.

ja, ha ~ hej!

i’m right in the middle of my second hdk project that will hopefully be shown this coming february at the 2010 stockholm furniture fair here in sweden and it has been quite an interesting experience.

first a little background, because i’m sure that the image of a rock above may be confusing to those that know my work from before.

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i came to hdk with the idea that i would be focusing on the intersection between typography + language and using that to frame different aspects of culture and life. my first project (http://secondcities.net) focused on trying to unveil the daily treasures that help make a city what it is – to reveal its identity through Real-time Archaeology; documenting a place in the present for preservation of experiences and memories. to me this seemed like a good project to help orient me in the city and make me more aware of my surroundings. it was also intended as a segway into projects more specific to understanding of sweden and swedish culture.

now if we come to present day you can see above that i’ve been doing something completely unrelated. this was, in fact, by design and not by accident. our current course gives us the option to either create a product / object / furniture that may be exhibited at the furniture fair or to take part in the organizing / collateral design / exhibition design for the hdk stand at the fair. despite my initial interest in taking on one of the design roles, i thought that i should really push my boundaries and try to create a physical product – something i’ve never done before.

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my object is a light in the form of a slip-casted porcelain rock that i collected from an island here in göteborg called brännö (about 1 hr away by public transit, including ferry). in my life i have had numerous experiences where the role of light has been significant either in creating the atmosphere that allowed for the experience or by acting as a way for me to recall those memories. here is a (romantic) excerpt from my project description:

why do we choose to create in our own personal caves with lights dimmed, screens glowing, and surrounded by the dark; make friends over coffee in the warm light of candlesin the pitch black afternoon; gather around the fire when we have nothing but the forest around us and sky above; or fall in love as the sun rises, casting its gentle warmth against the early morning clouds?

by using light sources and hand processes (thereby creating a pure + direct translation from ideation to implementation) i will create the possibility for a better world by giving the opportunity for people to bond, find a meeting of minds, and understand each other through the shared experience of conversation and silent moments.

more to come later, i’m excited to see how this turns out.

without further adieu, i’m excited to announce that the my first project at hdk, SecondCities/Göteborg is ready for (semi) public unveiling!

Tokyo, New York, London, Stockholm, Seoul – while these ‘First Cities’ of the world lay claim to the highest populations, busiest streets, and fanciest clothes, they fail to impress with their big city attitude and glossy veneer.

Second Cities across the world – whether they are the places we were born and raised, studied in or passed through on our way to somewhere else – captivate us with their down-to-earth lifestyles, friendly people and underground cultures like no other place can. They are all inextricably linked through the sharing of certain common characteristics that are inadequately described in purely academic analysis. This project aims to unearth these areas of overlap + connection.

please take a minute to check out the site and get an on-the-ground-view of this amazing city: http://goteborg.secondcities.net

also, i’d love to hear any feedback here in the comments or via e-mail.