Plastic is widely used to shape many of the daily goods produced and consumed today. Compared to wood and metal, this versatile material was recently introduced to society. The technical advances that began in the mid 1850's led to the invention of the first cellulose plastic polymers - a naturally occurring or synthetic compound consisting of large molecules made up of a linked series of repeated simple monomer (One Look on line Dictionary, 2009) - to be used at an industrial level. Inaugurating a period in which objects could have the strength of metal or wood, while also being lighter, colorful and cheaper to be manufactured. Plastics are a material that has the ability to be easily shaped (Lefteri, 2008). For me, plastic is ideal to work with, not only because its eclectic applications in product design and manufacture, but also due to its ordinary use in our globalized society. My master's research is to design functional objects using different types of plastics. My goal is to experiment with this material and understand the industrial production process behind the manufacture of the daily functional objects that surround us. Each plastic polymer has its proper usage and constraints. These characteristics are taken into account in my design process. Conceptually I allow myself to have freedom in exploring the object's form by respecting the material`s limitations as well as the techniques I have available to design and make my pieces. In conjunction with this creative research, I am using Computer Aided Design and Computer Aided Manufacturing through Computer Numerical Control and Rapid Prototyping technologies to design and produce the pieces. Furthermore, my intention is to have a deep understanding of the uses, production, discard and, recycling procedures of plastics goods. I am interested in knowing more about biodegradable, compostable and recyclable polymers in order to enjoy this great material that is evolving rapidly (Lefteri, 2008) in the contemporary society without causing environmental damage and preserve good conditions to future habitants of the Planet.

Throughout history, people have made or acquired vessels from which to sip their favourite beverage. In the contemporary domestic setting, households frequently accumulate multiples of the same type of object in numbers that are considerably greater than is necessary and practical for use alone. Of these many objects there are often individual pieces that have special significance for the owner or user. Some are so valued that they may even be removed and set aside because of their perceived importance. The research was initiated by a previous study of tea drinking vessels coupled with a desire, as an object maker and collector, to find out why people have special items that they designate as personally important. The aim was to identify how significance could be recognised in specific objects and whether the notion that a group of features used to gauge such objects could be conveyed into studio based work. The research outcomes are evidenced in a text-based document (which articulates the theoretical and empirical elements of the enquiry) and a body of creative studio work developed in response to aspects of the investigation. The document encompasses two components of the study. The first references material from the fields of museum and cultural studies, pivotal in focusing the enquiry. This contributed to the compilation of a general and speculative inventory of qualities that might pertain to objects deemed ???significant???. During these early investigations it became evident that a more in depth and contemporary analysis of significant drinking vessels, their owners and/or users was required. A Survey Questionnaire regarding personal use and special drinking vessels preceded a series of Interviews with a selected group of Australia curators, artists, academics and collectors who discussed and analysed their association with a personally significant drinking vessel. Subsequently, the content of these interviews became central to the focus of the research and outcomes. The research isolates a number of attributes that are commonly identified in objects that, whatever their condition, are deemed ???significant???. These describe the maker, usage, ownership, association and historical context. The perceived value or worth of the object for its owner, is recognised as a consequence of significance and declares the object as distinctive. This outcome is clearly validated by the interviews. The studio work develops from the fusion of personal narrative that has been enhanced by findings of the research. In particular, it references the cherished object, most especially those pieces that have been retained despite the ravages of time and use. The resulting work was exhibited as Trace Elements ??? Marking Time: Significance, the Vessel and the Domestic at Kudos Gallery, Paddington in April 2004.

The chief aim of this thesis is to explore aesthetic aspects of the Swedish school subject of sloyd. The research questions are: What do young people tell about sloyd? What aesthetic resources do they use? How can one describe the relation between what young people tell about sloyd and the aesthetic resources they use? A narrative approach was chosen to learn about activities and attitudes concerning aesthetic matters among young people in the 9th form in lower secondary schools. The empirical study was carried out in three schools including qualitative interviews and visual ethnography mainly considering the learner’s point of view. Findings are represented through story constructions and photographs. Ten stories depict aesthetic and thereto related aspects of which five stories are based on individuals and another five are thematic. Stories and photos were analyzed using an integration of aesthetic, narrative and semiotic methods. Structures of meaning making were identified using three concepts: expressions, personal project, and dynamic process. The results show that aesthetic deliberation in sloyd work is a major issue among young people. Concerns are often based on personal circumstances, such as taste and preference. Aesthetic considerations in the pupils’ sloyd work were found to be directed towards the one’s own room, relations to family members, and/or plans for future engagement in aesthetic related professions. The results confirm that aesthetic expression in sloyd work may be a way for pupils to reflect upon and develop their personalities. I have also shown that sloyd may be a way to represent narrative instances. A second aim is to develop theoretical concepts in the field of aesthetic learning in sloyd. I argue that an aesthetic aspect alone cannot satisfy the concept of aesthetic learning. Therefore the aesthetic learning concept in my study is generated from aesthetic, configurative (cf. gestaltung) and creative aspects, thus forming an integrated aesthetic perspective. Aesthetic objectives were analyzed using Bakhtin’s systemic aesthetics, which identified architectonic instances in sloyd materials and sloyd design supporting narrative elements in sloyd artefacts. Finally I propose a model for narrative understanding of artefacts based on the theoretical concepts mediation and focalization.

Throughout history, people have made or acquired vessels from which to sip their favourite beverage. In the contemporary domestic setting, households frequently accumulate multiples of the same type of object in numbers that are considerably greater than is necessary and practical for use alone. Of these many objects there are often individual pieces that have special significance for the owner or user. Some are so valued that they may even be removed and set aside because of their perceived importance. The research was initiated by a previous study of tea drinking vessels coupled with a desire, as an object maker and collector, to find out why people have special items that they designate as personally important. The aim was to identify how significance could be recognised in specific objects and whether the notion that a group of features used to gauge such objects could be conveyed into studio based work. The research outcomes are evidenced in a text-based document (which articulates the theoretical and empirical elements of the enquiry) and a body of creative studio work developed in response to aspects of the investigation. The document encompasses two components of the study. The first references material from the fields of museum and cultural studies, pivotal in focusing the enquiry. This contributed to the compilation of a general and speculative inventory of qualities that might pertain to objects deemed ???significant???. During these early investigations it became evident that a more in depth and contemporary analysis of significant drinking vessels, their owners and/or users was required. A Survey Questionnaire regarding personal use and special drinking vessels preceded a series of Interviews with a selected group of Australia curators, artists, academics and collectors who discussed and analysed their association with a personally significant drinking vessel. Subsequently, the content of these interviews became central to the focus of the research and outcomes. The research isolates a number of attributes that are commonly identified in objects that, whatever their condition, are deemed ???significant???. These describe the maker, usage, ownership, association and historical context. The perceived value or worth of the object for its owner, is recognised as a consequence of significance and declares the object as distinctive. This outcome is clearly validated by the interviews. The studio work develops from the fusion of personal narrative that has been enhanced by findings of the research. In particular, it references the cherished object, most especially those pieces that have been retained despite the ravages of time and use. The resulting work was exhibited as Trace Elements ??? Marking Time: Significance, the Vessel and the Domestic at Kudos Gallery, Paddington in April 2004.