live from the graphics team.

"skin is said to 'glow' in response to youth, health, or happiness. yet few creatures actually emit light from their bodies. a glowing object appears curiously alive ... artificial light signals the presence of electricity, the energy that animates the object world. electrical current is cyborg blood, the life force of digital and mechanical systems." - ellen lupton SKIN

steven and i's thoughts on the graphics area of the communication chamber include a visual representation of occupation within the chamber - the skin/shell of the chamber should morph or breathe or glow when occupied. since light becomes a necessary element within the chamber due to the web cam, the glowing light on the inside of the chamber should read on the exterior of the chamber, showing when the chamber is in use. we were thinking to make the skin of the chamber become the main focus of our graphic explorations. we were also thinking that the creation of a studio logo could be placed on the exterior as a way to "label" our chamber. therefore, the communication that occurs on the inside registers on the outside - some change in lighting or transparency or color that would express the energy and the level of communication occuring on the interior of the chamber. when a person on the interior is communicating with ron or other members of the studio, a higher level of change would register on the exterior versus someone occupying the chamber with the purpose of napping or when the chamber is not occupied.

the egg chair is an interesting concept that incorporates speakers into the chair system, while cancelling sound from the exterior. while the budget for an egg chair is high-end to be sure, the relevance to the studio's chamber project easily becomes apparent.

ron on the jon / port-a-ron: as a studio, we all joked about the possibility of converting a port-a-potty to our studio chamber. steven and i have taken this idea seriously and were thinking about different ideas of how to transform a mobile toilet into a tangible chamber for communication. the inside could be insulated to ensure acoustical quality, and the toilet bench could be covered with cushion and fabric to provide a comfortable environment. a hole could be drilled to provide a way to bring electricity inside of the chamber for our lighting sources and computer needs. with the installation of the elevator inside of lee hall and heavy-duty casters to the bottom of the existing structure, the portability of a port-a-potty stall comes within our realm of possibility. the massing and scale of Andrea Zittel's A-Z Cool Chamber and A-Z Warm Chamber become interesting precedents to study in regard to our chamber, especially as it relates to the port-a-potty idea. Her Living Units also become an important studies for our studio chamber. below are some quick photoshop renderings illustrating our aforementioned thoughts on giving the port-a-potty "cyborg blood" to indicate the chamber's occupancy level.