SUNKEN ROOM

Inquiry: What is the interaction between nature and the human-made?

Title: Sunken Room

Dimensions (h x w x l): 7 x 7 x 7 in

Date Completed: Dec 5, 2021

Idea: A glimpse into a possible future when rising seas reclaim coastal infrastructure.

Materials: PVC board, wall putty, acrylic paint, sand, Montecarlo, black slate, glass tank, water, silicon glue

Processes: Applied wall putty for texture, weathered with acrylic wash, aqua-scaped to fill space.

Inspiration

Planning

Process

I started by making the room structure using PVC board. I cut out a doorway and thought it was too small for the half-sunken idea, so I went back to the drawing board to revise it to be floor-to-ceiling windows.

I applied wall putty gesturally to create texture, and once it was dry, I expanded the doorways as per the revised design. I then used PVC board trimmings to add the thin planks making the window frame.

Once this was done, I diluted green and ochre acrylic paints to make a wash that I could use to weather the walls and give the impression of mildew and age.

Next, I added the room to the glass tank, filled it with water, and added the sand bed and rocks. I let the water filter overnight using an aquarium filter to get crystal clear water. By morning, one of the wall pieces had became dislodged, and it was very hard making it stay in place because it was not anchored to any stable surface. I took pictures for the mid-point critique.

After the critique, I went back and rebuilt the frame to make it sturdier. At first, I was planning to keep the sand bed bare for a minimal look, but my feedback told me to make the piece more unique by adding more components. So, I went back to my pre-planning slides to add aquatic plants. I decided on Montecarlo.

When I added the structure back to the tank, I revised by adding a red-tinted sand to my original sand to give it the appearance of a fertile sand bed since my room had plants now. I, once again, filtered the water to make it crystal clear. Prior to take photos, I pasted my printed backdrop to the outside of the tank and positioned the light sources in a way that lit the room well and caused ripples to appear.

Experimentation

In this piece, I experimented by taking something I've worked on, miniatures, and submerging it underwater. This forced me to also experiment with new materials that could withstand water like PVC board and wall putty. Attaching the PVC board required me to use water-resistant glue such as super glue and silicon glue. I also had to practice by testing whether the wall putty would leach into the water, by soaking a test piece of board in water overnight.

To incorporate nature into my piece, I used aquatic plants like Montecarlo. Planting these was a different process from planting land plants. The process required precision, so I had to use tweezers to firmly implant the Montecarlo. Arranging these plants with the rocks also led me to experiment with different aquascapes.

Using water made me work out how to make it appear ultra-clear for enhanced visibility and how I can construct the room to allow for optimal water flow. This is why I added two openings in the room.

Reflection
This was my first time making an underwater miniature. I refined my skills in crafting, working at small scales, and weathering pieces. I had already experimented with planting weeds in Project 2, so now I experimented with planting aquatic plants. This time it was more challenging because the sand was loose and the plants kept uprooting themselves. I also used a new material, wall putty, for texture. My last technique was using textured paper, but this time I needed something else that was water-proof. However, I feel like the wall putty would work better on more opaque surfaces unlike PVC board because light could shine through, breaking the illusion.

My inspiration was a music video showing a flooding house and the idea of abandoned underwater buildings. My project does connect because I achieved the half-sunken look I was going for and successfully incorporated the derelict influences of abandoned buildings.

My biggest challenge was the wall frame. I couldn't cover the room with a roof until I had added the plants and rocks, so I had to leave the top open while I worked. But, there was a piece of wall towards the front left that detached itself from the base board. It didn't have a foundation nor a ceiling that it attached to in order to stabilize itself. It was very frustrating, and I ended having to remove the room entirely and reattach the wall to the base with stronger glue. But, this shows that I underwent revision to make the structure more sturdy.

This project utilizes art elements of texture, contrast and space. I refined the concept of synthesis in terms of materials and processes by intentionally using authentic materials such as plants and wall putty. This piece also ties to my other pieces Overgrowth and Ruins because this is also a miniature that shows what happens when nature reclaims abandoned human-made structures.

My favorite part was the aquascaping part. It was like gardening underwater, and it was interesting seeing the life that the plants added to the piece. My least favorite part has to be when I had to remove the frame from the tank and redo everything because the wall came loose.

I hope others see my work and admire the attention to detail I put in and the message behind it. As it's meant to be a warning of rising seas and climate change, I hope my piece will be impactful in getting this point across.