Formed By Desire : An Investigation Of The Relationship Between Playfulness And Design

Abstract

My personal development and professional training have led me to believe that playful attitudes help people cope, problem-solve and can offer emotional lightness. The Formed by Desire collection is comprised of three series of personal adornment and installations entitled: Spin & Spun, Garabatos Picados, and Tinkered. Each series presents familiar childhood imagery such as the Spirograph[superscript]TM in efforts to drive forth the restorative nature of imaginative behavior. This collection is underpinned by the investigation of the connection between playfulness and forthright linear expression that is influential to my design practice. Characteristics of this visual vocabulary are bold tones and the conversion of spontaneous linear drawings into three-dimensional objects. My graphic language is akin to garabatos, whimsical marks, which are usually made by children before they are able to write. These elements reference childhood candor and reiterate the notion that adults can be simultaneously serious and playful.