I’ve been researching molding techniques for Lars’ class. Mostly related to concrete, iron, and resin. Most of the information I’ve been pulling up is in science journals from the 1940s. Which is helpful only to the extent of understanding the historic process, and maybe how to set up a patent. Figuring out how to mold the highly curvilinear patterns from the previous semester is going to be rough. So I was quite surprised when I stumbled upon the work of Erwin Hauer. The methods of molding behind his continua series are very similar to the methods I think we’ll be using in Lars’ class. His screen walls have seen a resurgance of interest since his book was published in 2004 (Hauer was born in 1926).
“Continuity and potential infinity have been at the very center of my sculpture from early on.”
He’s been featured in Arch Record and his interview with Metropolis was quite revealing of the process he’s using now to replicate his decades old designs. Formerly, they just used traditional wood formed concrete molds, but they are now integrating CAD technologies and plastics. Using the techniques Hauer invented over fifty years ago would have been to expensive and time consuming. His partner, Enrique Rosado, spent months working with computers to input all his models and experiment with different materials but ultimately Hauer was dissatisfied.
“When we first made the prototype and he saw it, he was very polite and said, ‘Well, what else are you going to do?’”
“This is my obsession,” Hauer says. “Tension in a surface—it’s almost like a life force.”
This lessens my confidence in our ability to quickly and effectively physically model the designs. If a man who has dedicated his life to 3D sculpting is having difficulty achieving satisfactory results, we might be in trouble.
