Rationale

At the present time, the conjunction of technology and culture (largely due to the impact of computing) has brought about the opportunity to re-evaluate the critical positions available to creative practitioners (in this case, architects, product designers and sculptors) in defining objects to engage audiences with a range of aesthetic, cultural, psychological and social issues. As these technologies become increasingly affordable and prevalent and computing enters its ‘pervasive’ networked phase the expectations we have of the objects we surround ourselves with will transform (specifically, cultural objects or art products whose function is to provide alternate or parallel values to conventional design discourse). The purpose of the research is to pose the question: do 3D computer technologies play a role in bringing about a recognisable transdisciplinary discourse and a distinct, new object grammar emerging from the application of industrial means, methods and processes to ‘para-functional’ and ‘non-design’ ends? It forms a hypothesis for action and a strategy for practice.