surfacing

updated final project proposal; see if this is gonna fly.

so after experimenting around with the newer toys, and with some external inspiration, my latest project idea is loosely related to the chandelier project. first, i wanted something more organic-looking than something stiff and traditional. organic shapes with more modern-tech materials. doodled some starfishesque shapes, and slowly morphed to an octopus, an anemone, a jellyfish. i can imagine a stepper motor attached to each waving limb, with each individually controlled, legs curling or wiggling based on proximity. a light would softly glow within the main interior. and then, as an extension, instead of hanging on the ceiling, the whole light would be submerged in water. i'm hoping the vacuum form can produce a watertight housing for the circuitry.

just googling about for underwater light fixtures shaped like sea creatures, and came upon the indoor furnishing works of aqua gallery. i was amazed... this is exactly what i was thinking! except, of course, it'd be underwater, while responding to touch (and perhaps sound) through variable-state light glow pulsations and graceful tentacle wiggling.



how beautiful would this be? even if it were suspended from the ceiling instead of submerged in water, it'd create beautiful movement. i imagine the legs reacting quickly at first, then a slow retreat, the rest of the limbs imperceptibly swaying. however, to have it actually work underwater would be incredible... line the legs with translucent chiffon, inflate the 'head' from below, and infuse the tank with tiny diffusing particles. think: the wondrous jellyfish from finding nemo. no surprise that that was my favorite scene in the film.