im Wald is a series of a side table by Taeg Nishimoto, that is made of transparent legs and a combination of differently sized disk tops in black. It is an exploration of the making of visual as well as the tactile texture of transparent plastic and its effect.
The appearance of a plastic product is in general, largely determined by the manufacturing process, which gives the industrial and rather sterile visual associations. This series is an exploration of giving a different kind of quality to the physical appearance of the plastic by creating a spontaneous texture to the transparent tubes.
It uses two types of plastic; one is heat-resistant polyester sheet and the other heat-responsive PETG (Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol) tube (0.3mm thick.) They have an identical appearance in their transparency and hue. The heat-resisting polyester sheet is cut into small rectangular pieces and randomly folded/crumpled, which is then slid into the PETG tube to fill the inside with the right amount of tightness pressing against the inside surface of the tube.
Both ends of the tube are closed and secured by black rubber rings that maintain the circular profile of the tubes in the heating process. When the heated air is applied onto the outside surface of the tube, the folded polyester sheet inside begins to unfold itself while the PETG tube becomes soft and clings to the edges of the polyester sheet inside. As a result, the tubes acquire the complex texture which is unique to each tube.
The table top disks are made of MDF with the diameters of 18cm, 23cm, 28cm and 33cm. Each is applied the different shades and sheen of black paint. The disks are combined in the number of three, four, and five to make one table, so each table has a combination of tops regarding the size, shades, and sheen of black. Different disks seem to invite different objects to be placed on the same table. The connections between the disks are secured by thin brass strips at the bottom of the disks, and each disk is supported by one or more legs for structural stability.
The tubes catch the light, and the light reflects and refracts not only on the surface of the PETG tube but also from the surface of the polyester sheet folded within, contrasting with the black tops. The random appearance of the legs below the circular tops evokes an association of transparent and shimmering trees in the forest.
