Project Update 06/30/09

I am working with a sound engineer (John Bell), violin maker (Joseph Curtin), and U of M physicist (Gabriel Weinreich) to design a next-generation electric violin. The violin is an incredibly iconic object, so even a minor aesthetic change noticeably affects the viewer’s response to the instrument. At first, I worked to solve this problem by creating an electric violin that would conform closely to the familiar aesthetic of the traditional violin, but the Mirra task chair by Herman Miller inspired me to approach this challenge in a completely new way. In this design, a flexible plastic surface with a rigid backbone replaces the wooden box traditionally used for a body. Once refined, these early models will be printed in three dimensions using ABS plastic.

Tags: 3D Models • Early Sketches • Instruments • John Bell • Models • Process • Violin