Project Play comprises of a series of table lamps, with each object made by a standalone machine. Aiming to create new value between object and user, honest focus and magnification is put on the manufacturing process. Geometrically simple but materially complex; their value aims to be enhanced through long term interaction with carefully select and playful material properties.
The lamp bodies are created with a magnetic rubber, founded through a blend of ferrous powder and silicone. With a magnet encased inside the head of the lamp, it is then to able to be positioned freely around the body, benefiting an engagement of playful interaction between user and object. Pablo Picasso’s quote laid inspiration for the project; All children are born artists, the problem is to remain an artist as we grow up. The product may not be an obvious ‘toy’ but holds an idea of creativity or play in its function and unexpectedness.
The lamps are made in two pieces, the head and the body, with a mould for each. The mould is filled with silicone, placed within the platform and cracked upward to plunge the internal piece inside it, which could be compared to a form of low-tech injection moulding machine. It is then left for to cure for approximately six hours before revealing the set form.
The machine acts as a portal to illustration of the process; it would not be used by the consumer but only from control of the designer. This allows for consistency of finish in the end product as well as eliminating the invisible stage of commercial manufacture. The machine also looks to act as a workstation/ system for storage and access to the tools that are needed for the products production, defining a line between handmade craft and batch production.
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