Main Project Inspirations

The main project inspirations I have come from a combination of engineering, aesthetics, and passion.

The inspiration from my passion is to create a horseback riding jump.  Horses and riding are a life-long passion I have.

My inspiration from an aesthetics perspective is to create a jump which is interesting and incorporates my love for lights and sculpture.  My aesthetic will focus on an innovative sculptural/light installation artistic theme to make a jump which is drastically different from the norm.

This inspiration comes from being from Chicago.  The city is filled with art, sculpture, and lights.  If you have never been to Chicago- lights are a MAJOR aesthetic of the city.  The skyline is magnificent at night from all of the skyscraper lights-several of which change color almost nightly.  Roof tops have visceral light installations and the parks and fountains change almost nightly with different colored lights.  Lights also bring the city together and unify Chicagoans everywhere with messages of “Good luck” to the sports teams.

Photo Courtesy of: Alicias.com

Photo Courtesy of: Vimbly.com

Photo By: Barry Butler, “Why Are The Skyscrapers Teal? There’s a Schedule For Chicago Night Lights”

Photo By: Raymond Boyd, Getty Images

Photo By: Kevin Eatinger, Fineartamerica.com

Contemporary art is very important to the city, and can be seen in Millenium park.  The large video sculpture is an inspiration.

Photo Courtesy of: Cityofchicago.org

Typical jumps are painted and often constructed from wood.  While people make their own jumps, or purchase jumps, they lack true aesthetic appeal.  Often to overcome the boring aesthetics, superficial things are added such as paint/color and decorations (flowers, fence pieces, brick decor, etc).  The aesthetic of the jump itself never changes.

Photos: Doversaddlery.com

From an engineering perspective, my goal is to create an innovative jump thru making it automated by remote control.  This creates an advantage thru ease of use.

The remote control aspect also lends itself to the aesthetic since both will require a self-contained power source.

The aesthetic will be challenging- finding lights which look good during the day and finding materials which are contemporary.  Engineering a safe, innovative jump will be challenging too- all components need to be robust, weatherproof, and safe for horses.

Below is a old sketch for the engineering design portion without consideration to aesthetic.