Art Installation Development | 2019 | San Jose, California
Curiosities: Floating Shelves
PROJECT INFO
Client: Personal Master of Fine Arts Exhibition
Timeline: 5 weeks
Role: Designer & Production Artist
Tools & Methods: Adobe Illustrator, Laser Cutter, Woodworking
In October of 2019, I was in the final stretch of my MFA program at San Jose State University in San Jose, California. I had five weeks until my thesis exhibition was to be installed and I had a big problem. One of my most important projects was about to be left out of the show because I did not have the right fixture to exhibit it. In discussions and critiques, it became clear that the exhibit would be incomplete without these objects. So, with only thirty-five days to go (and about a million other things on my plate) I designed custom floating display shelves.
This page highlights the design process I went through in researching and developing the fixtures that would ultimately tie my show together both conceptually and visually.
The Challenge
Design and produce a structure to showcases small art objects the size of microscope slides. The fixture needs to incorporated the aesthetics of the overall exhibition while functioning as a steam-lined adaptation of scientific cabinetry.
Key Considerations
Ability to hold two different types of Microscope Slide Coverslips for display.
Type A: Rectangle, 22 x 50 mm, 0.13-0.17 mm thick
Type B: Circle, 25mm diameter, 0.13-0.17 mm thick
Incorporate sculptural elements that aesthetically unify the display to the rest of the exhibiting collection.
Gallery installation apparatuses built in.
Either in the the round and lit by gallery lighting or featuring a built-in light system.
Low cost with relatively simple assembly.
Inline with MFA thesis documents and research.
Contact sheets of art objects (enameled glass slides).
2019 | “Plato’s Cave” production photos by Megan Moriarty
Research Methods
The original inspiration for the glass slide format came from Magic Lantern slides. The 18th century projection system had many designs, so their slide frames differ greatly. The exhibition in which my slide work would be featured incorporated many conceptual ideas from this period of scientific discovery. So, I focused on how the science-minded of the 18th century showed slides and curiosities.
Magic Lantern Slide Frames
Curio Cabinets
Microscope Slide Storage
18th Century Craft Storage
Research Findings
Wood as a primary structural material.
Rudimentary joints and lamination.
Encasement with perfectly fitting holders.
Plexiglass instead of glass as a cost-saving measure.
Cut or carve ornamentation to reflect the design elements of the art objects themselves.
Mechanical slides for a magic lantern as illustrated in Petrus van Musschenbroek'sBeginsels Der Natuurkunde (second edition 1739)
Magic lantern slide by Carpenter and Westley, 24 Regent St, London. The frame contains an image of hand painted flowers in a vase.
Domenico Remps, Cabinet of Curiosities (c. 1690)
The Solution
One of the greatest challenges of this design is visual cohesion. This is achieved by incorporating the visual elements of the other objects within the exhibition and adjusting it for the needs of the fixture.
The only other sculptural objects within the show were wall-mounted bronze works. The sculptures were developed using a repeating pattern called Lithic Burst. Using the source illustration of this pattern, I designed large ornamental elements that could be incorporated into a simple floating shelf.
Prototyping: Acrylic Cases
The encasements for the slides themselves would be ready-made acrylic boxes with custom-cut layers of plexiglass to hold the slide in a suspended manner.
Materials:
3.5in x 2.36in Plastic Bead Storage Containers
18in x 32in Clear Plexiglass
Craft Methods
Laser Cutting
General Assembly
Prototyping: Wooden Fixture
The fixture was fabricated with the assistance of the San Jose State University’s wood shop facilities. Like the scientific cabinets and Magic Lanterns of my research, I employed wood as the primary material for construction. The only exception being the steal cable fitted into the wood for suspension and plugged with end-joints.
Wood Types
18in x 32in of Baltic Pine Plywood
2in x 1in x 24in length of Millettia Laurentii wood
Craft Methods
Laser Cutting
Chiseling and Routing
Lamination
Sanding with Poly Finishing
Testing & Installation
Ultimately, it was a success. I created a set of three floating shelves with four cases on each shelf. Each fixture showcased a series of enameled glass slides and allowed viewers to experience the scale and illumination of the fragile objects.
Successes
Displayed the very small glass slides so that viewers could see them in the round.
Incorporated sculptural elements that aesthetically unified the exhibiting collection.
Built-in steel cords for suspension.
Perfectly lit by gallery lights.
On time and on budget.
Inline with MFA thesis documents and research.
New Challenges
Needed an additional securing method for the encasements. More than once did a visitor bump into the shelves and break a case and slide. I was fortunate to have reserves, but it was frustrating.
Due to issues with the original plug joint for the cord, the joints had to be glued, meaning that the cord is a fixed length.
Conceptually, the acrylic cases were distracting from the other finely crafted elements.
