Rootbound Planter / Sconce
A plant is rootbound when the roots grow dense and tights and tangled.
Objects take on value both from form/function and the history of its materials.
Often verbal: “This product was made with recycled water bottles.”
How can this value be transferred visually?
Roots used were grown hydroponically. Erosion / wave patterns as a hint towards the plant’s aquatic past
Bring the owner into the production - they grow the plant, the sconce is then uniquely theirs.
Ideation / Inspiration
The Planter
The planter is composed of 11 printed pieces, two airstones, and an aquatic water pump. Previous iterations were dirt based (the dirt was too thin, the plant died quickly), without a water pump (roots rot due to zero aeration), with too low of rims (water spilled easily), and with smaller plant collars (plants would fall over).
I wanted the roots to be the star, but for the waveform to not be lost. Further, the proof of concept sconce’s roots were far thinner than roots grown in the mold - I needed to obstruct the light as to not have a bare light bulb.
For gilding - the bottom photos shows the relative contrast, with silver providing by far the best contrast.
The Sconce Hardware
Building the proof of concept
The roots are still growing in the planter (first photo). So in the interim, I made a proof of concept with wispier, harvested, post-mortem molded roots.
The Proof of Concept
10” x 4” x 11”.
Gilded PLA, Tomato Roots.
The final product will have thicker roots (as a result of them being grown into the mold, as well as plant type), and will be gilded wood, not gilded PLA. Also, I am going to experiment with different sconce mounts as the grown roots will be far more opaque.
In the final version, I would sell both full sconces, as well as the mounting hardware with the planter. The owner then can grow the plant, grow the roots, feel invested in the sconce, have it be more than just a light.
