Gebändigte Bändigung

Whilst experimenting with and repairing a tape measure, I came across its inner workings. The constant-force spring, which ensures the tape retracts, sprang out at me as I opened it. The tape’s stubborn nature often left me feeling exasperated as I unrolled it and tried to hold it in place. This gave rise to the theme of taming the nature of this material; through a rigid, mechanical structure consisting of perforated metal brackets and a wheel.

Constantly, almost monotonously, the abstract figure attempts to bring the impetuous metal tape under control. Repeatedly, the wheel slips off, as it cannot withstand the tensile force. Three sides are subdued, but one remains beyond control. The figure becomes a victim of its own objective.

This trial of strength between the two parties is driven by a windscreen wiper motor. Fundamental to the work is the visualisation of the balance of forces between the two interacting components: the metal strip and the abstract figure.