Author: angieizzy

The shrine shelf in its final form. I used a blue colour pallet with a coral/pink complimentary tone. The ceramics are painted a light grey/silver. The copper tape fitted in with this scheme. I am generally happy with the final outcome. It incorporates all of the elements I wanted. The drawer works as a way of incorporating the box into the design and there is room for it to be personalised, items could be placed on top of the boxes and used as extra shelving.

It was an interesting realisation that the basic shape of the triangle on the left and square on the right was the same as the silhouette of my original shrine shelf. This outline must have been in my subconscious and in my mind when designing it.

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Still drying (and in bad lighting). Generally happy so far. I have left the edges at the front bare. Due to them being slightly rough and quite hard to paint I have decided to cover them in copper tape, I have ordered a 5mm real which should fit perfectly along them. I think this will give the whole piece a much more finished look – it will also add a touch of metallic opulence which I think is fitting for a shrine.

I have now gone onto making the dish, vase and candle holder using air dry clay. Due to the geometric shape of the shrine I wanted to pieces to be fairly even in shape so they would not look out of place. I used a bowl i already had to get the even shape for the dish – cutting a circle and then moulding it to the bottom. I then waited until it was half dry to remove it. For the vase I rolled the clay into a cylinder shape and used my finger to hollow it out, pressing the top and base against my table to make them flush. I tried to mould the clay around a tea light and also tried to make a small dish as an alternative made a small dish with the same method i used for the dish. Unfortunately these both cracked overnight whilst drying. I suspect that because these were the last I made the clay was too dry. I will try again.

Initially I thought about thick cardboard but felt it would not be strong enough or have a nice enough finish – it may look too hand crafted which is not the effect I want to achieve.

Next I considered wood or plywood to create a structure sturdy enough. This posed too many obstacles – the joining would be difficult without a nail gun and expensive wood glue and I would not have as much freedom with cutting and I would have to borrow a jigsaw.

After some research I came across foam board. It is a material widely used in art and crafts and by architects to make models. It is sturdy, easy to work with and cheap.

I will also use clay to make the ceramic pieces. I will experiment with different kinds. Paper and card are most likely to be used as well for the accessories such as the box.

I am also planning to paint everything and the ceramics will be glazed. Spray paint or acrylic are what I will experiment with first.

Taking inspiration from the work of Sottsass and Erin O’keefe I will now start imagining the form that my piece is going to take.

I began by sketching the elements I wanted to include and then moved on to the structure that will hold them. These sketches were very rough but I was just trying to get an idea of the basic shape. Early on I realised I wanted to use a combination of triangular and oblong shapes which fitted together in a pleasing way. I also had in mind the seperate elements I wanted to include as this obviously has an affect on the shapes I use.

I chose my favourite from the first page and tried to develop it. I began thinking about how different parts would be hollow or not and how the elements would interact with the structure because of this. It also became clear to me that all of the pieces would have to be the same depth to enable to structure to be strong.

I wanted to experiment with a few more ideas before deciding on which design to go with finally. I tried a symmetrical design (with the work of Laurie Beth Zuckerman in mind) but felt it made the design look too flat. I wanted to create interest with the different heights.

I wanted to create harmony with the shapes. I wanted to use my intuition and see which design felt the most pleasing, it had to be complex enough to house all the different elements but simple enough so as to be made successfully.

I then tried to draw a model which could be made to scale. It was not tall enough and was quite stretched compared to my sketches but it was helpful to get a better idea of the structure in 3D form.

The second technical drawing. I made some mistakes here, only adding the top shelf of the oblong afterwards and the angle of the second triangle against the base.

I then traced the image without the mistakes.

Erin O’Keefe is a photographer and an architect, she combines both of these disciplines to create photographs which explore spatial perception. They are abstract and bold. She uses painted wood to create the images below. I stumbled across her work and it has been in my mind when envisioning the structure of my shrine and how it could be photographed. Her work echoes the abstract structural designs of Stotsass.

“As a photographer, I am interested in the layer of distortion and misapprehension introduced by the camera as it translates three dimensional form and space into two dimensional image. This inevitable and often fruitful misalignment is the central issue in my work.”

I will now plan how to materialise each concept. I think the symbolism of the past and future can help to be present and that the present will be symbolised through the encouragement of ritual. The overall shape of the shrine could be an ode to the idea of a gateway, in the shape of a door or a window. A cabinet that opens or a shelf in the shape of a window.

Past – Photograph, frame, memory box

Future – Representing a goal or aim, a place to write a wish or a note(similar to the small plaques found at Shinto Shrines), a scroll that can be added to or hidden within the shrine.

Ritual – A jar, a container or plate which holds items which are needed daily, a perfume bottle, vitamins, retainer?

Self – a mirror, a place of reflection, perhaps an affirming message that can be said everyday, or read whilst looking in the mirror. A reminder to be kind to yourself.

Manifesting – similar to future? A place to write a wish or desire, a pocket for a scroll.

It must be a receptacle that encourages each theme.

A shelf. A box. A dish. A pocket. A mirror. A door. A plaque. A frame. A vase. A jar.

Each could be open to interpretation by the user but I will imagine how I would best use each one to represent each need.

A box for memories.

A mirror for the self.

A pocket scroll for manifesting the future.

A dish for a ritual.

A picture frame for relationships.

A shelf for significant items. Personal Expression.

A plaque for manifesting goals.

These will all have to be combined into one cohesive piece, my initial thoughts are some kind of shelving unit or cabinet.

Sometimes books come to us at the perfect time. Yesterday I bumped into my neighbour Lindy, I had been meaning to talk to her about this project. She said she had received this book a month ago and that I was welcome to borrow it. After looking for books at the libraries in Bristol this is a very welcome addition to my research, and particularly interesting at this stage. l

A ‘subliminal altar’ is what my original shelf would have been.

I feel my research has led me to a place when I now appreciate the shrine or altar in a very different way than when I started. I now want to now revisit the making of a shrine from a design based angle. My initial shelf was made subconsciously and I want to see how my new understanding can help me to create something that is deliberate.

I want to look at recurring themes within my research, in doing this I want to break down the different aspects of shrines. I can then choose the ones I want to represent in my final piece. I want to represent them in physical objects through 3D design.

• Symbolism of objects
• The sacred and the profane
• Celebration of life – Gratitude [Present]
• Memories [Past]
• Manifesting the future – positive affirmation [Future]
• Ancestors – Mourning or remembrance [Past]
• Magic/Power
• Relationships
• Self love – Expression/reflection of self
• Gateways – a way of passage to another way of being or thinking
• Ritual – Opportunity to encourage and support rituals
• Shrines being a coping mechanism when dealing with stress and/or grief

I need to group and organise the themes and to choose which I would like to take further into my own work. The aspect of ritual and it’s link to wellbeing I found to be particularly relevant to me as I can relate to this in terms of my original ‘subliminal’ shrine shelf and the positive outcomes I experienced by creating it. The idea of past, present and future also seem to be important and I would like to incorporate all three. The gateway idea that I gained from looking at ‘A time for new dreams’ will definitely feature as I think the idea of a shrine being a gate to something outside of the physical realm is also key – this will also be linked to manifestation.

Unlike my shelf which was made up of personal items, I want to create something, much like the design work or Callum Brown, that can be personalised and used by anyone. Going back to my original understanding of the word, a shrine is a receptacle, a container. However, it will encourage the user to explore the different aspects in a personal way. For example, a place to hold a photograph, a box to place significant items. I feel the aspects must be accessible to everybody.

Past

Present

Future

Ritual

Self

Manifesting

Note is a Stockholm-based studio of design founded in 2008 working within the fields of architecture, interiors, products, graphic design and design strategy.

”Whatever is special to you right now at this very moment – a photograph, or a leaf picked on an autumn walk – put it on display in Shrine.
With Shrine we had an idea of creating an object to help people highlight things that mean something special to them. A piece working like a halo or frame around important memories in life. We also created a series of seven still life photos gives our personal views of how Shrine can be used.”

These are some examples of how people used their shrines..

This simple design is an example of shrines as purely a vessel. It is similar to the work of Callum Brown that it is left unfinished – a container for one to display objects which showcase individuality. It leaves space for personalisation – encouraging people to think about what is important to them and to celebrate this within their homes. The examples show how varied the responses to this can be – some are more traditional like the Chinese family photo compared to the vase.

I would like to explore the way that the design of an object can be left open to interpretation and leaves empty space. It is a design that invites interaction.