Precedents No.5

Artist Dan Havel and Dean Ruck created an installation in a house a few months before the building was going to be demolished.  The design was called the tunnel house and was constructed through the building coming out the other side through a fence. 

What I like about this design is the use of recycling a space and timber for a piece of artwork.  The tunnel relates closely to what I have been trying to portray in my own work.  The idea of a dark, enclosed, uncomfortable space translates perfectly into the feeling of discomfort before the spine is clicked.  The material of wood is something that has been used quite successful in this piece of work. The timber slabs are connected together to make up the shape of the narrow tunnel.  I like how you can see this visible dark space with the light at the end of it.  The feeling of a warped hole or the house being sucked in to something is the feeling I get when looking at this artwork. 

The contrast between the painted white wood and the raw timber is quite a nice attribute to the tunnels aesthetics.  White and wood seem to go together incredibly well so I must explore this colour and material option in my own work and further developments.  I like how all the wood is directing you inwards to the tunnel, sucking you in.  They are all layered to create a space which catches your eye and makes you want to explore it further.  Seeing the darkness would make people feel a little hesitate and uncomfortable but knowing theres light at the other end people would be more likely to explore the tunnel and crawl through.

The exit is very much different from the entry into the tunnel.  The spacious entry leads to a narrow exit which could be a concept which I could go forward with and explore further.  The tunnel doesn't have to be the same width the whole way through.  

I like how the tunnel artwork stands out but also blends into its surroundings well.  The wood and white matches up with the house so the structure itself doesn't stand out as much as it potentially could.  Having a tunnel that complements its surroundings and becomes part of the architecture rather than an add on to the side of the house is something that I haven't yet looked at for the tunnel I had drawn to my house.  This installation has opened up many more ideas for me that I can explore and work with rather than sticking to the idea I have at the moment. 

http://www.designverb.com/2007/06/11/tunnel-house/