Due to its cheap, pervasive, and disposable nature, post-consumer plastic has no subjectivity in its relation to the consumer. My thesis project examines the material’s inherent destructive narrative and question its ability to have extrinsic value beyond the assumptions of trash. In my research, I found that humans instinctually seek to conserve and treat biotic material with care. This fact has become a catalyst for the works in this project, which aim to not only increase the material’s value through animate biomorphic transformation, but also counter our disposable tendencies. At the onset of this project, I was fixated solely on the physical potential of plastic, but in researching cultural narratives, I became more aware of the social significance that post-disposal plastic material holds. Artistic works by Mark Bradford and El Anatsui helped me understand the potential for re-inscribing new meaning into materials that have had a prior existence, and the art of Lynda Benglis and Tim Hawkinson inspired my technical application. From there, I applied the aesthetics of biomorphism, which resulted in a culminating piece that utilizes melted and deformed bubble wrap to evoke reptilian skin or a micro-biotic cell community.

The major purpose of this thesis is to present a proposal for a Kurdish Tourism Center complex designed on the present site of two of Chicago’s most famous parks. These parks are the Washington Park and the Jackson Park located near the center of this famous city. Moreover, this thesis attempts to offer some new ideas about Kurdish architecture which blend ideas of bio morphism and critical regionalism into the overall design of Center Complex. Thus, much of this thesis offers a discussion of issues related to trying to define Kurdish identity in the 21st century and seeks to include these ideas into the architectural designs of the projects. For example, Kurdish people, by and large, love and treasure the many famous Kurdish poets who have written throughout the centuries until the present day. Overall, Kurdish people love the outdoors and nature. They love flowing water falls and often escape to the mountains with their families to enjoy picnics and have celebrations. Moreover, Kurdish people love music and they love to dance. These are just some of the things that have been translated from ideas into architectural designs for this project. In addition, the Kurds are one of the largest populations of “ethnic” people’s in the world that do not have their own recognized country or nation. Consequently, much of Kurdish identity is about this struggle for freedom and autonomy and the desire to have a country they can call their own. These themes are explored in both the architectural designs for this project and in the accompanying “programing” that might be presented and housed at a Kurdish Tourism/Cultural Center Complex in Chicago, Illinois.

M.Tech. (Fine Art) / In this study, I explore the way in which materials and biomorphic forms are used in selected artworks to convey aspects of gendered and cultural identity constructs. This is done with specific reference to Nicholas Hlobo’s work and to the artwork I produce as part of the practical component of my research. I have chosen Hlobo’s installation Izithunzi (2009) because it is a pertinent example of the way in which he uses biomorphic form and typifies his use of materials, both of which have some similarities to my work. Although Hlobo’s use of materials is widely discussed in the available literature on his work, little has been written on his use of biomorphic form. To address this gap in the literature, I look specifically at how Hlobo uses biomorphic form in Izithunzi to represent what I argue to be the hybridity of his gendered and cultural identity. In the practical component, I present a series of sculptures made from second-hand furniture, polystyrene, concrete, plastic, stuffing, fabric, thread, steel pipe and fibreglass. As Hlobo does in Izithunzi, I consciously make reference to biomorphic forms.

O estudo descrito nessa dissertação abrange conhecimentos referentes às áreas de Biônica, Biomorfismo, Artes Visuais e Design de Superfície propondo um procedimento de projetação voltado para a elaboração de estampas têxteis com referência em elementos naturais. Considerando a natureza como fonte de referências visuais para a projetação no Design de Superfície, percebeu-se que associar pressupostos estéticos presentes na área com etapas de métodos de Design de Produto baseados em estudos de Biônica, poderia contribuir com a produção criativa dos desenhos de estampas. Desse modo, disponibiliza-se à audiência acadêmica e profissional um procedimento de projetação organizado a partir de um estudo exploratório-experimental com abordagem qualitativa, estruturado por revisão bibliográfica, entrevistas e experimentações. A primeira organização do procedimento foi realizada através da adaptação de etapas de três métodos de Design de Produto com base em estudos de Biônica. O procedimento resultante foi avaliado e aperfeiçoado a partir de quatro experimentações realizadas com estudantes e profissionais da área. O resultado é um procedimento com oito passos voltado ao desenvolvimento de estampas com referências biomórficas. A pesquisa aponta que o contato direto do designer de superfície com o elemento natural, aliado ao resgate de técnicas de desenho manual e à reflexão contínua dos procedimentos adotados durante a projetação, contribui com o planejamento e processo de desenvolvimento de estampas pelos projetistas. Ou seja, projetar a partir de etapas organizadas e adaptáveis conforme as necessidades de cada briefing facilita o processo de projetação de estampas com referências naturais e converge para novos resultados na perspectiva de contribuir com as produções disponíveis no mercado atualmente. A conclusão do trabalho oferece algumas possibilidades de prosseguimento da pesquisa, como a organização de cursos envolvendo conhecimentos das áreas de Design de Superfície e Biônica e a verificação e aplicação do procedimento aqui proposto no âmbito industrial. / The study described in this dissertation covers knowledge regarding areas of Bionics, Biomorphism, Visual Arts and Surface Design to propose a procedure for developing textile designs which incorporate natural elements. Considering nature as a source of visual references for projecting in the surface design, it was realized that associating esthetic assumptions present in the area with steps of methods of product design based in studies in Bionics could contribute with the creative production of drawings in prints. In this way, it is made available to the academic and professional audience a projecting procedure organized based on an exploratory-experimental study with qualitative approach, structured in literature review, interviews and experimentations. The first procedure organization was performed through adaptation of steps of three methods of product design based on Bionics studies. The resulting procedure was evaluated and improved from four experiments performed with students and professionals in the field. The result is a procedure with eight steps focused on the development of patterns with biomorphic references. The research suggests that direct contact from the designer with the natural elements, coupled with the rescue of hand drawing techniques and continuous reflection of the procedures adopted during the development contributes to the creative process by facilitating the search for visual references. In other words, projecting from arranged and adaptable steps according to the projective needs eases the procedure of prints projecting with natural references and converges to creative and differentiated results which can contribute to the products available nowadays in the market. The conclusion of the study offers some possibilities for further research, as the organization of courses involving knowledge of the areas of Surface Design and Bionics and the verification and application of the procedure proposed here in the industrial field.

O estudo descrito nessa dissertação abrange conhecimentos referentes às áreas de Biônica, Biomorfismo, Artes Visuais e Design de Superfície propondo um procedimento de projetação voltado para a elaboração de estampas têxteis com referência em elementos naturais. Considerando a natureza como fonte de referências visuais para a projetação no Design de Superfície, percebeu-se que associar pressupostos estéticos presentes na área com etapas de métodos de Design de Produto baseados em estudos de Biônica, poderia contribuir com a produção criativa dos desenhos de estampas. Desse modo, disponibiliza-se à audiência acadêmica e profissional um procedimento de projetação organizado a partir de um estudo exploratório-experimental com abordagem qualitativa, estruturado por revisão bibliográfica, entrevistas e experimentações. A primeira organização do procedimento foi realizada através da adaptação de etapas de três métodos de Design de Produto com base em estudos de Biônica. O procedimento resultante foi avaliado e aperfeiçoado a partir de quatro experimentações realizadas com estudantes e profissionais da área. O resultado é um procedimento com oito passos voltado ao desenvolvimento de estampas com referências biomórficas. A pesquisa aponta que o contato direto do designer de superfície com o elemento natural, aliado ao resgate de técnicas de desenho manual e à reflexão contínua dos procedimentos adotados durante a projetação, contribui com o planejamento e processo de desenvolvimento de estampas pelos projetistas. Ou seja, projetar a partir de etapas organizadas e adaptáveis conforme as necessidades de cada briefing facilita o processo de projetação de estampas com referências naturais e converge para novos resultados na perspectiva de contribuir com as produções disponíveis no mercado atualmente. A conclusão do trabalho oferece algumas possibilidades de prosseguimento da pesquisa, como a organização de cursos envolvendo conhecimentos das áreas de Design de Superfície e Biônica e a verificação e aplicação do procedimento aqui proposto no âmbito industrial. / The study described in this dissertation covers knowledge regarding areas of Bionics, Biomorphism, Visual Arts and Surface Design to propose a procedure for developing textile designs which incorporate natural elements. Considering nature as a source of visual references for projecting in the surface design, it was realized that associating esthetic assumptions present in the area with steps of methods of product design based in studies in Bionics could contribute with the creative production of drawings in prints. In this way, it is made available to the academic and professional audience a projecting procedure organized based on an exploratory-experimental study with qualitative approach, structured in literature review, interviews and experimentations. The first procedure organization was performed through adaptation of steps of three methods of product design based on Bionics studies. The resulting procedure was evaluated and improved from four experiments performed with students and professionals in the field. The result is a procedure with eight steps focused on the development of patterns with biomorphic references. The research suggests that direct contact from the designer with the natural elements, coupled with the rescue of hand drawing techniques and continuous reflection of the procedures adopted during the development contributes to the creative process by facilitating the search for visual references. In other words, projecting from arranged and adaptable steps according to the projective needs eases the procedure of prints projecting with natural references and converges to creative and differentiated results which can contribute to the products available nowadays in the market. The conclusion of the study offers some possibilities for further research, as the organization of courses involving knowledge of the areas of Surface Design and Bionics and the verification and application of the procedure proposed here in the industrial field.

O estudo descrito nessa dissertação abrange conhecimentos referentes às áreas de Biônica, Biomorfismo, Artes Visuais e Design de Superfície propondo um procedimento de projetação voltado para a elaboração de estampas têxteis com referência em elementos naturais. Considerando a natureza como fonte de referências visuais para a projetação no Design de Superfície, percebeu-se que associar pressupostos estéticos presentes na área com etapas de métodos de Design de Produto baseados em estudos de Biônica, poderia contribuir com a produção criativa dos desenhos de estampas. Desse modo, disponibiliza-se à audiência acadêmica e profissional um procedimento de projetação organizado a partir de um estudo exploratório-experimental com abordagem qualitativa, estruturado por revisão bibliográfica, entrevistas e experimentações. A primeira organização do procedimento foi realizada através da adaptação de etapas de três métodos de Design de Produto com base em estudos de Biônica. O procedimento resultante foi avaliado e aperfeiçoado a partir de quatro experimentações realizadas com estudantes e profissionais da área. O resultado é um procedimento com oito passos voltado ao desenvolvimento de estampas com referências biomórficas. A pesquisa aponta que o contato direto do designer de superfície com o elemento natural, aliado ao resgate de técnicas de desenho manual e à reflexão contínua dos procedimentos adotados durante a projetação, contribui com o planejamento e processo de desenvolvimento de estampas pelos projetistas. Ou seja, projetar a partir de etapas organizadas e adaptáveis conforme as necessidades de cada briefing facilita o processo de projetação de estampas com referências naturais e converge para novos resultados na perspectiva de contribuir com as produções disponíveis no mercado atualmente. A conclusão do trabalho oferece algumas possibilidades de prosseguimento da pesquisa, como a organização de cursos envolvendo conhecimentos das áreas de Design de Superfície e Biônica e a verificação e aplicação do procedimento aqui proposto no âmbito industrial. / The study described in this dissertation covers knowledge regarding areas of Bionics, Biomorphism, Visual Arts and Surface Design to propose a procedure for developing textile designs which incorporate natural elements. Considering nature as a source of visual references for projecting in the surface design, it was realized that associating esthetic assumptions present in the area with steps of methods of product design based in studies in Bionics could contribute with the creative production of drawings in prints. In this way, it is made available to the academic and professional audience a projecting procedure organized based on an exploratory-experimental study with qualitative approach, structured in literature review, interviews and experimentations. The first procedure organization was performed through adaptation of steps of three methods of product design based on Bionics studies. The resulting procedure was evaluated and improved from four experiments performed with students and professionals in the field. The result is a procedure with eight steps focused on the development of patterns with biomorphic references. The research suggests that direct contact from the designer with the natural elements, coupled with the rescue of hand drawing techniques and continuous reflection of the procedures adopted during the development contributes to the creative process by facilitating the search for visual references. In other words, projecting from arranged and adaptable steps according to the projective needs eases the procedure of prints projecting with natural references and converges to creative and differentiated results which can contribute to the products available nowadays in the market. The conclusion of the study offers some possibilities for further research, as the organization of courses involving knowledge of the areas of Surface Design and Bionics and the verification and application of the procedure proposed here in the industrial field.

Der Beitrag befasst sich mit einer ersten methodisch-systematischen Analyse der Biomorphisierung von Mensch-Maschine-Schnittstellen, also der Nutzung von biologischen Aktivitätsmustern für Signalkodierungen. Aufbauend auf Beispielen aus dem Alltag werden menschliche Eigenschaften, die sich zur Anthropomorphisierung und Biomorphisierung eignen, analysiert. Sodann werden geeignete Signalparameter zusammengestellt, die mit den technischen Ausgabemöglichkeiten und den dazugehörigen Signalen verbunden werden können. Beispielhaft wurde bei der Mensch-Maschine-Schnittstelle eines Geldautomaten eine Biomorphisierung deren Interaktionen vorgenommen. Ein Ausblick auf Folgeuntersuchungen, welche die Interaktionen evaluieren, schließt den Beitrag.

Cette étude se focalise sur l’examen conjoint des représentations du corps dans les œuvres de Pablo Picasso et de Raymond Duchamp-Villon. Afin d’apporter un éclairage nouveau sur la représentation du corps cubiste, notre objectif est d’examiner la portée de la connaissance de l’anatomie artistique, branche scientifique se rapportant non seulement à l’anatomie (au sens plus spécifique de l’ostéologie et de la myologie) mais aussi à l’étude de la proportion humaine, à la physiologie, la physionomie, l’ethnologie, l’anthropologie et la morphologie. En élaborant une nouvelle interprétation des images cubistes qui la relierait à la fois à la science anatomique et au classicisme dans le cadre de l’histoire de l’art, notre recherche ouvre une étude morphologique du cubisme à de multiples disciplines, comme l’esthétique et l’épistémologie. Si la recherche picturale de Picasso porte sur la structure du corps humain, Duchamp-Villon cherche pour sa part à représenter le dynamisme et la vitalité du corps. En d’autres termes, en partant des mêmes savoirs scientifiques ces deux artistes proposent deux modalités différentes de l’architectonique de la représentation du corps : se dispensant de théoriser cette architectonique, Picasso et Duchamp-Villon découvrent une expression du corps qui leur est propre. Par ce biais, nous cherchons à mettre en lumière les modalités par lesquelles le schéma cubiste se forme dans l’oscillation entre art et sciences, intuition et intelligence, subjectivité et objectivité, métamorphose organique des images et modélisation mécanique du corps. / This study focuses on the analyses of the representations of the human body in the works of Pablo Picasso and Raymond Duchamp-Villon during their cubist periods. In order to shed some new light on the representation of the body in the cubist works of these two artists, the importance and the modality of the artistic anatomy is examined. This includes branches of science related not only to the anatomy (specifically osteology and myology), but also to the study of human proportion to the physiology, physiognomy, ethnology, anthropology, and morphology. Developing a new interpretation of Cubist images that is linked both with anatomical science and classicism in art historical context, this research corresponds to a morphological study of Cubism in multiple disciplines, such as aesthetics and epistemology. In particular, this study's aim is to consider two different forms of architectonic representation of the cubist body, starting from the same scientific knowledge. If research of Picasso is concerned mostly with the structure of the human body, Duchamp-Villon's seeks the dynamism and vitality of the body: far from axiomatizing scientific knowledge, the two artists rectify it in their own way to discover their unique expressions. Through this, the method by which the cubist pattern is formed in the oscillation between art and science is clarified, between: intuition and intelligence; subjectivity and the objectivity; and organic metamorphosis of images and the schematization of the mechanical body.

Der Beitrag befasst sich mit einer ersten methodisch-systematischen Analyse der Biomorphisierung von Mensch-Maschine-Schnittstellen, also der Nutzung von biologischen Aktivitätsmustern für Signalkodierungen. Aufbauend auf Beispielen aus dem Alltag werden menschliche Eigenschaften, die sich zur Anthropomorphisierung und Biomorphisierung eignen, analysiert. Sodann werden geeignete Signalparameter zusammengestellt, die mit den technischen Ausgabemöglichkeiten und den dazugehörigen Signalen verbunden werden können. Beispielhaft wurde bei der Mensch-Maschine-Schnittstelle eines Geldautomaten eine Biomorphisierung deren Interaktionen vorgenommen. Ein Ausblick auf Folgeuntersuchungen, welche die Interaktionen evaluieren, schließt den Beitrag.