Making Cultures - Form and Matter

The Fold

Shruti Nikam

Introduction

Through folding, bending, and molding the material, experimenting with what different forms the characteristics of the material can allow. The act of folding is usually thought through the folds of paper, and origami artists have pushed the paper’s “limits” into a much free-flowing structure. Paper in its end form, due to its malleable nature, allows it to be folded, giving rise to new surfaces and gaining stability in itself. This allows creating a homogeneous form that is completely in contact, rather than various assemblies.

The geometric patterns formed through the art of origami help to solve many structural problems or think of structures in completely new ways, like the Deployable Structures. But the forms found through folding paper get imposed on other materials, rather than thinking through the specific materials’ characteristics. So how can different materials be allowed to take forms by taking their characteristics as possibilities rather than their limitations?

Intent

This research intends to experiment with how complexly a material folds or bends leading to a homogeneous form. The process thus started with listing down materials that can take different forms by intervening at their different stages of form building itself. thus the materials being experimented with are Starch sheets, Concrete and Clay.

1.Making of the Material

Starch Sheet

Attempt 1

Materials: Corn Starch (10 gm)

Vinegar (5gm)

Glycerine (5gm)

Water (60ml)

The above materials were mixed and heated in a vessel till it turns into a thick paste. Then it was spread on a plate covered with aluminum foil. then the sheet was sun-dried overnight. Here the intent was to see how the sheet takes form on its own once it dries up. Since the foil wasn't greased with oil the sheet stuck to the plate and tore apart while peeling off.

Attempt 2

Materials: Corn Starch (20 gm)

Vinegar (10gm)

Glycerine (7.5gm)

Water (120ml)

Jute mesh

The materials used for the previous attempt were doubled and a jute fabric mesh was introduced in between two layers of the original starch sheet mixture. Even though the lessened amount of glycerine helped to accelerate the drying process, the two layers of mixture thickened the sheet than required, caused cracks in the sheet. Still, the jute mesh helped in keeping the sheet intact.

Through referring to previous batches’ works and other papers, the proportions for the mixture of starch sheets were finalized. Thus the proportions of 10gm of cornstarch, 5ml of vinegar, 5ml of glycerine, and 60ml of water were finalized. It was observed that glycerin acts as a plasticizer that links polymer chains together and allows them to slide past each other. Whilst Vinegar helps the cornstarch to fully dissolve in the mixture because starch dissolves better in the presence of electrically charged ions.

2.Folding the sheet

After understanding the formation of material and the role of the 4 ingredients used, this mould was digitally designed. Here the initial setup of the experiment was thought such that, after casting the sheet as a flat square sheet the diagonal points will be pulled in opposite directions.

Starch Sheet

Attempt 1

Materials: Corn Starch (10 gm)

Vinegar (5gm)

Glycerine (5gm)

Water (60ml)

Process:

In the first attempt due to the jelly like texture and behaviour of the material, metal arc supports had to be inserted. Also, a grid of jute threads was introduced within the sheet, which was inspired by the geometry of an origami form . This grid gave control points that helped in forming a mesh and adjusting the sheet according to the mould.

Attempt 2

Materials: Corn Starch (10 gm)

Vinegar (5gm)

Glycerine (5gm)

Water (60ml)

Process:

Thus moving ahead , keeping the mould same, the application of mixture was thought in a different way. Where two coats of the mixture were applied on a jute sheet after an interval of a day . As an end result the mixture helped in strengthening the sheet and taking the desired shape.

Ferrocement

Attempt 1

The same experiment was carried out with ferrocement mixture. Here the mixture of 1:2 (cement: sand) was found appropriate for the experiment.
While setting up the experiment the logic of bending of starch sheet got subconsciously imposed on the ferrocement sheet but this caused it to crack.
Thus here the mixture was then applied onto the mould formed by metal arc supports and a jute sheet.
Here it was observed that the arc whose curve was opposing the gravity, flattened due to the weight of the mixture. While the arc whose curve followed gravity, formed a more accurate shape after drying.

Attempt 2

Thus further a mould was digitally designed, considering the observations. Here only the 5 circles formed by bending metal wire will act as fixed points and the jute fabric used as a shell will adjust according to the weight of the mixture.