Tea and spices drove the western age of discovery. Each dot on the map represents a city—a vortex of coming and going. The dots trigger a release of lines that create more dots. The lines wrap around the Earth, connecting every dot and every teacup.
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The Teawind map explores the relationship of Tea and spices to rest of the world. It highlights the link between a small commodity and its impact globally. The age of discovery was heavily dominated by the Western pursuit for spices and Tea. Far-away regions around the world were explored and connected due to increasing trade of Tea and spices. The map charts these wind patterns and the Tea-trade routes.
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projections
Projection mapping
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After several experiments, I finally reached a system through which I could organize the information. I decided to chart the trade routes over the x-y plane of world map. The x and y-plane represented the location and time of tea arrival in the region. Images below illustrate this process. I also decided to rotate the world map to emphasize the flow of tea and spices from east to west.
animation
swatches
Vessels
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vessels
For globalism, I created tilted, dynamic shapes that suggest outward movement. I started with a basic cylindrical shape and imagined how wind direction might affect the form. I used a chiseling tool to erode a titled cylinder to emphasize the effect wind has on natural shapes and form. Images of mold below, summarizes my process. I made a plaster prototype form and then casted it in a three part mold. I used the mold for slip-casting. After a lot of failed attempts and test samples, I finally generated my final clay form. I retained the naked porcelain color to emphasize the geological quality of maps.
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