Concept Statement
This dynamic triptych was inspired by the musical elements of the lo-fi song, “Morning Moon,” by Kanisa, Wishes and Dreams. (Time 1:15-1:26). The composition is divided into three different parts representing the careful layering of instruments (piano, electronic strings, and saxophone) that unite to give the listener/viewer a sensation of peace and relaxation. The panel displayed here individually has an overall simplicity, because it represents the raw breakdown of the piano. The piano is represented through circular mechanisms to show its consistency throughout the piece. The circles increase in size as the mechanism is being pulled, which shows the escalation of the actual notes being played through rhythm and repetition. The pull-tab mechanism also utilizes elements like a leading line to guide the viewers eyes to the rest of the composition. The cohesive color palette of the panel and the entire composition consists of two cool-toned colors contrasting with one warm, which creates an overall harmony within the piece as well as its overall curve-linear shape. It also emphasizes the idea that all of the instrumental parts unite to create a complete sense of relaxation.
Research
This project was really exciting to me because I have a strong background in music. I was also placed in the group of three, which gave us a great opportunity to capitalize on the importance of individual instruments. For our research, we each looked up different styles of music we were interested in.
Links to the songs i found:
When we got to class to share our ideas, we found that Tawny’s song she found called “Morning Moon,” was our best option. There were three clearly defined parts of the song, piano, electronic strings, and saxophone.
We also made a mind map to collect all of our thoughts to clarify them.
In class, we drew how we visualized a song. I often associated staccato, moving notes with a wave/escalating image, which late influenced my project.
We were really inspired by how abstract putting music to paper could be. It allowed us to express how we interpret sound in a much more physical way. Every time there were moving notes, I pictured forms in a flowing sequence, which is what I ended up focusing on in my final.
When we were formulating our concept, we used the same technique to visualize our chosen song.
Exercises
Exercise 1
For this project, researching paper mechanisms was one of the most important steps to complete it. I looked up video and picture tutorials to generate more ideas for my panel.
I found a few interesting pop-up tutorials to test out for my project. View tutorials at
This mechanism pops/folds up whenever the paper is opened.
I also tried a much simpler mechanism, which was a simple pop-up. I wanted to become more familiar with the basics before I started something more complicated.
Iterations
For the mechanism I planned on using, I created many different iterations of it. They were all inspired by the tutorial Waterfall Card Tutorial
I started by making the first one straight like the tutorial, but I began to experiment with what it could look like if it were curved. I tried a few different versions of that because it was difficult to get the scoring in the correct increments.
Production
I began my construction process by cutting out circles of multiple sizes with the Cricut. I used cardstock for this as well as the rest of my compositions.
I then hand-cut a strip of paper and scored it in even increments. After doing that, I attached the circles onto it in increasing size order.
I then created A pull tab to connect the strip to. I attached then attached the mechanism to a base. I kept the base shape very curve-linear to fit with the idea of relaxation.
I realized at this point that I would need a way to keep the pull tab steadier, so I added a slit into the base, so the strip would have a guided path.
On the end of the pull tab, I cut out a shape similar to those on my partners’ work. I then filed the edges of it and the base of the composition.
I wanted to add more stability, so I cut slits to create a channel for the tab to follow.
I created a loop to go underneath the slits and connect to the top of the tab. This allowed the tab to move straight without wobbling.
I did not like the way the small, purple loop looked, so I made thicker loop and replaced it to give it a much cleaner appearance.
Final Images
I used the app “Gif-Maker: turn videos to gifs” to make a gif of my section. You can view it by clicking on the image below.
To put our project into stop motion, I used the app “Stop-Motion.” I also added a short clip of our song to play behind the composition.
Reflection
Overall, I felt that this project gave me much needed experience working in a group setting. Being a group of three had its challenges, but we were able to come together and create a successful composition.
View final portfolio project at Dynamic Pages