"The wind brings
fallen leaves enough
to make a fire."
Inspiration Board
Attribute Word Diagram
After being given a random haiku as our prompt, the goal of this project was to explore materiality and emotional expression by making a material palette based on the haiku. We were to also attempt to engage all five senses, creating a more immersive experience to the material palette.
The materials I chose for my palette were meant to visually represent a crisp fall day: warm colored fabrics contrast with cold, smoky marble tiles, representing the leaves and the wind mentioned in the haiku. I wanted the palette to look dry and slightly decayed, like fallen leaves. The wooden crate also looks old and dry, as though it is ready to catch fire.
Engaging sight and touch is easy with a material palette; the real challenge lies in the senses of smell, taste, and sound. I placed a small cup of cinnamon in the palette to represent the smell of autumn; to me, cinnamon smells like spice and warmth, reminiscent of the cold months at the end of the year. Cinnamon could also represent taste, but I chose to add mini marshmallows for taste to go along with the campfire.
I wasn't allowed to light a candle to mimic the feeling and sound of a crackling fire, so I chose to visually represent these stimuli. I folded a piece of iridescent orange fabric into the shape of a fire, and added some twigs in front: the effect reminds viewers of the crackling sounds and the warmth emanating from a fire, without actually lighting a fire in the building.
Tools used in project: Procreate, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Lightroom, DSLR photography.
