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Contrapposto

Inspired by a Roman sculpture of a male athlete, balancing himself on one leg, in an s-curved motion-captured posture, the 'Contrapuntal Chair"  is an abstract form developed from an imaginary rotating vortex with optimized material use, and a calculated distribution between mass and void. "Structural ornamentation" was applied giving this chair a unique surface treatment, "growing" out of the parametrically-determined forces used to make the chair. The chair was executed in both concrete and in wood forms and fabricated completely with digital tools. The chairs are were made in1,2,3, and 4- "leg" derivatives, and "families" exhibiting different experimental surface treatments within the voids of each.  Prototypes were made at a reduced scale in a variety of 3D-printed resins to explore geometry and various effects, such as "swarm", and  "moire". Tests were also run with different forms of ornamentation. The Wood version of the chair is finished with a traditional French polishing technique, and gives the technocratic object a surprising contrasting luster, highlighting the artifact as something ancient yet forever current at the same time.

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