So I dove deep into designs for the monument. I’ve been doing experiments with the laser cutter to see what designs allow the materials to spiral/twist. I found a great company called Dukta that creates really beautiful flexible wood. The cutouts allow for the material to bend and twist. I’ve made several samples of similar designs on the laser cutter in cardboard- trying to gauge which designs will give me the best structure, and still allow for the twisting of material. I’ve also ordered samples from Dukta to see if any of them make sense for this project in full scale. Their only exterior grade material is teak… so if it’s not sustainably harvested that’s a no go. Considering we don’t have a laser cutter bed bigger than 32x18 I’ll need to outsource the cutting of materials- unless the ID Dept has a full laser cutting bed. How to connect separate boards, how to install the sound elements, and how to connect it to a stabilizing platform are all TBD. I feel like I need to speak with an engineer to make sure this thing doesn’t just fall over.
The other options I’ve been exploring is biomaterials. I just finished a consultation with the Nature Lab regarding different materials that I can potentially make myself. They sent me tons of links to different recipes and sites that offer lots of information. I’m looking forward to doing some tests (what fun) and see which materials hold out better than others in the elements. This will likely happen during spring break or the week after as I’m moving during the break. Apparently I can 3d print biomaterials- potentially in Co-Works or with a ceramics professor Lesley Baker so that could be a potential solution to scaling this thing to size. They also suggested I potentially use clay with a non-toxic glaze so it could eventually biodegrade.
I received some unfortunate news from Deborah Levans, the Director of CAPS on Friday. She originally was completely on board with hosting the healing session for students. After connecting with the art therapist who conducted our first session she became hesitant. Kelley, the therapist, did not put Deborah at ease regarding potential gender issues of our very diverse community here at RISD. CAPS decided it wasn’t the right project for them. We are reconsidering what might make sense for the community. I will be meeting with Deborah and her assistant director in the coming days to explore other ideas. Ultimately the goal is to help support the empowerment and healing of survivors of sexual violence. It turns out, that looks different for every community. I think this was a great thing to have happen early on. Not every group is going to benefit from art therapy; and we may not be able to find an art therapist that understands those groups- so the solution is elsewhere.
We are currently connecting with a facilitator in Newark, NJ who works exclusively with young black women and girls who are survivors of sexual violence. We expect that community to need very different things than the student body here at RISD. Listening and understanding each community’s needs will help direct how we can best implement support and healing for each group. This is not a copy + paste solution. I think I knew that all along, but it’s helpful for a community member to present this issue so listening and understanding becomes the first step of the process, not an afterthought.