Mesh-Moss
Chair
Exploration of the intersection between traditional crafts and modern technology.
Out of curiosity of how we can combine new materials and technologies with traditional craftsmanship, we designed a chair which fuses 3D-printed plastic joints and natural birch greenwood that is commonly used in woodworking. The design retains a visible difference between these two materials while simultaneously burning the lines between natural and artificial.
Using the ancient technique of chiseling, we removed the outer plastic shell of the printed joints, revealing the computer-generated mesh structure which is similar to the moss naturally growing on birch trees. This “digital moss” transitions into the chairs’ wooden parts, which are left largely untreated to highlight the natural properties of birch wood.
Through combining natural and artificial materials, traditional techniques with digital printing, we are questioning where traditional crafts fits in with current materials and technologies. We are asking what is craft? - is it tradition, particular movements learned from a master? Is it the use of particular hand tools and those only, avoiding more recent technologies? Is it knowledge of materials and tools? Or all of these? And how will it evolve?
