ted talks

http://www.ted.com/talks/thomas_thwaites_how_i_built_a_toaster_from_scratch.html

The toaster project was a great video. I was immediately interested by his means of acquiring his materials. The fact that he went out and bought the cheapest toaster he could find seemed conceptual and too played out for me. That is until he took the toaster apart. I was amazed to see all the different mediums within the toaster, especially the ones Ted chose. Steel, Mica, Plastic, Copper, and Nickel are all such raw materials that can be manipulated in so many ways to create endless visual effects.
-Thought it was interesting to see his curiousity guide him on his travels. Learning how to craft these raw supplies would provide great knowledge on the history, technique, and the people involved in making these materials.
-His reference to old wood cuts was very cool- Albrecht Durer, and Windell Dietterlin related
- I also particularly liked one thing Ted said, in order to make smaller items from metal you must go back in time. It was interesting that he referenced about todays methods of creating raw materials. It is all based on large scale and profit, rather than the craft.