Stamobile

Stamobile is a defined design style. Inspired by the kinetic design movement of the 1960s, particularly Alexander Calder, it combines actual movement with perceived movement. So rhythm is very important in these designs.

My design was inspired by the seascape I saw when I was collecting seaweed for for bleaching process – driftwood washed up with branches and other plant material being windswept against it in a mix of shapes, spider webs and other plant material floating through the scenery.

Using an old favourite piece of wood (naturally weathered rather than actual driftwood in this case), I have secured a branch upright to an almost hidden heavy metal base. The metal rod is painted brown to match the darker seaweed colour, meaning it almost disappears into the design. The base and the attachment cable ties are hidden with hessian, once again to blend in with the design.

It is then a matter of placing various pieces of plant material – bleached seaweed, grevillea seedpods – to resemble a windswept scene. Spider webs are made with thin decorative wire and craspedia, some suspended as mobiles, others fixed to the upright branch. Three small pieces of bleached seaweed are suspended by fishing line from the larger piece at the top so they can move freely with any air movement around the design.

This design placed third. The judges would like to have seen the craspedia reflected in the top and bottom of the design not just through the centre.

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