High Resolution topo map.

So I created my topographical map out of a post-it pad using a mat knife. I initially had bought some sheet metal with plans to make it out of that but after playing around with the metal, I wasn't getting as precise to the map as I wanted as well as not giving it the popping lifted effect I needed. So I then started cutting up post it pads playing around with them. My section of the map had both above sea level and below to i made the surrounding boarder of the post it my meeting point for the two. I am happy with the final aside from some minor craftsmen errors.

Topo Project - Chris Lange

I used index cards of various colors for my topo map project. Initially I thought I might use newspaper, but I felt it was too flimsy, and would provide neither a sturdy surface, nor a tactilely satisfying end product. Rather than attempt to emulate a thermally coded map, or a color coded elevation map, I just wanted to use the colors to differentiate between layers so that the viewer would not be forced to rely entirely on shadow and light to see the slight differences in height.

My map also had the virtue of having features other than just landscape on it, and so I drew in the power lines and scratched in small hatch marks to represent the railroad that ran around the map. Overall, I wanted to have an element of touch to the piece, so that it wouldn't be purely visual. Each of the different colors of index card have slightly different textures, as do the indented areas of where the ink has been added, as well as the "tracks".

Rather than display water as negative space within a square frame, I cut the cardboard into an irregular shape, resulting in a less conventional overall construction.

Topo Map

Yay Maps :)

Photo Credit : Jon Meritt :)

This is the map I started out with.
It is a 5X5 inch square of the Adirondacks.


This is how I started.
I mixed several colors of play dough.
Then I rolled it out over cardboard and newspaper.


I decided to cut the lakes out of the first layer to expose the newspaper.
I felt that was necessary because when i was little i was never allowed to play with play dough on the kitchen table.
My mom used to lay down newspaper for me to play on so that I wouldn't make a mess.


Then I cut out the shapes of the different levels of elevation and laid them out.

After laying out the final pieces I covered each elevation with a different mixture of play dough.
After I finished I tried covering it with saran wrap to keep it from cracking.
I failed at that part.
The next morning it was almost in pieces.
So I had to rework all of the layers and wet everything down to stop it from crumbling.



The End :)

Mini Golf

Our last project. The news to us was a bundle of excitement, and anticipation. We were given turf, and told that our last assignment was to construct a mini golf course. Each group would have their own hole, and it had to have a theme, a bend and a mechanical piece for the golf ball. I was in a group with Kait, Garrett, and Derek. We spent most of Monday brainstorming on what we would construct for this project. We went through many themes, ideas, and laughs until we finally decided on a casino themed project. Once we had our theme, we had to overcome the obstacle of what we would make for our hole. A slot machine came into mind, and I suggested that we should have our project interactive with the viewer, or in this case, the player. We wanted to have the ball go into the slot machine, as if it were a coin, have the player pull the trigger, and the ball comes out the other end. We also wanted to gain the "theme" to its fullest extent, and make some more themed items, such as a roulette table, we wanted to use it so that if you hit the ball around the hole, it would spin, and eventually go into the hole. We began construction the very next day. We got plywood, and nails and took to the wood-shop to construct this massive machine. We started to prime, and paint the objects. Through our journey, we did encounter some technical difficulties. With our large slot machine, our mechanics behind making the ball come out the other end were rather difficult and time consuming. Our dowel, which held the mechanics together broke once we had the machine work. Due to the snow day, the wood-shop was closed, so we were forced to make due, and find a new way to make the machine work. After all the painting, and decorating, we began to put together our display. We pieced together the hole and added the turf to our wood constructed miniature golf hole. The final result and event I really enjoyed. I enjoyed watching everyone play all the holes at our "mini golf course" and I really enjoyed our end product. I think a lot of effort and time went into it to make it well constructed, and aesthetically pleasing.

Ice Bridge: Buckley, Greenfield, Lange, Leisk, & Spencer

Return of the Snow Dragon

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topo map

Although everyone was creating 3d topographical maps, I wanted this map to be more like a sculpture than a map. I liked the way that the lines felt more like art than science, and I wanted the viewer to feel that as well. I used cardboard for the substructure, then covered it in paper mache and painted it white to help the viewer to see it as a new way to look at maps- as 2d representations of a 3d sculpture.

Topo Map- Katie Wong

For my map I used paper from Repo. I cut the paper in to circles and traced my map onto it. i then proceeded to carve out my map. I left the edges of my map raw because I felt that went along with the look of the paper and the twine I used to bound and hang my map.