We’re pleased to announce opening of an exhibit of projects by freshman students from the Division of Foundation Studies at of Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). The exhibit will remain at Providence Optical throughout the summer.
The exhibit features five projects that were part of the RISD curriculum in Spatial Dynamics, which emphasizes a studio-based inquiry into the relationships between physical objects and spatial phenomena. The students worked with issues of physical motion, stability, balance and materiality through the creation of objects in relation to three-dimensional space.
By Caitlyn Au
The students crafted these works from solid wood materials using traditional methods of wood joinery. Each student completed wood materials research, joinery exercises and analysis of buildings and structures in his/her environment as the underpinning for the project design work. Joinery work on the projects was measured, marked and cut by hand using marking gauges, Japanese handsaws and chisels.
The designs began with a series of ¼-scale models and were finalized in ½-scale drawings. Design development work focused on objects measuring 10” wide x 32” high x 60” long.
By Sira Udomritthiruj
Providence Optical offers special thanks to RISD instructor Gail Fredell, who oversaw the creation of these works, and her assistant, Nick Ventola.