BOOMERANG KID:
In this prototype for a project I'd like to explore in the future, I set out to play with illustration beyond a static, two-dimensional sphere. Like a majority of my recent pieces, Boomerang Kid explores the icon of the "home" as a metaphor for the future of our planet. I wanted to ditch 1920 x 1080: Using a laser engraving machine, I created a structure that allowed my small animation to interact with a larger sculptural context.This structure is made up of birch plywood and black paint, though I'd like to explore a variety of materials (paper, board, metal, plastic, etc.) and laser engraving techniques when I bring this to a larger scale.
Though not completely rooted in narrative, this prototype is based on the phenomenon of the "Boomerang Kid," a young adult who goes back to live with a parent after a period of independence. As I'm about to graduate university, this concept has become a fascination of mine since I've heard talk of many of my peers planning to move back into their childhood homes. I started to think about the idea of the "Boomerang Kid" in relation to the environment. If we, as a society, viewed our Earth as a "home," where would we go once our resources were depleted? What do we do when there is nothing to move back to? With the state of our current political climate and drastic changes to the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Parks Service, these questions are on my mind often.
SEE: NY Times - "It's Official: The Boomerang Kids Won't Leave"
https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/22/magazine/its-official-the-boomerang-kids-wont-leave.html?_r=0
Boomerang Kid - Test 1
Process Page - Thoughts
Mockup 1 (paper) & Sketches (Adobe Sketch)
The .ai files for laser engraving: The black is engraved out after many level tests and the white becomes raised above. In the paper mockup, I originally planned to paint my bricks black with white in between, but I ended up liking the subtlety of the black-on-black texture, which left more focus to the GIF inside... displayed on an iPad!
Laser engraved texture test: I made this pattern by engraving these hand drawn bricks with a Full Spectrum Laser Machine. I began by drawing the bricks in Adobe Draw for iPad Pro. I then converted the (see above) the files for the laser machine using Illustrator. The bricks were changed to white (where the wood wouldn't be touched) and the surrounding black would be engraved with the laser. I used Birch plywood.
Documenting Test 1 and building Test 1: Documentation is interesting for animations IN sculptures, because you want to retain clarity within the sculpture but also capture the motion. After testing with video, I ended up shooting photos of the "house" and masking the animation into in After Effects. This worked because the sculpture is stagnant. By masking the animation under the photographs, I was able to show the clarity of the GIF.
Animation test #1: Moved a bit too fast, though I thought the idea of a balloon, shape could be interesting in relation to the "boomerang" concept.
