the stylized hand form by mary beth janssen ms. from usa

there are several points of interaction with constructed environments that cause one to touch; to sense the environment by feel. the door lever is a good example; it is an invitation to touch. the ‘formed by hand’ series of door levers looks to that aspect to inform the shape of the lever handle. each version was formed by the grip of the hand in clay first and then further modified, stylized, and simplified to achieve the quality fit and touch that one senses from a door lever handle. the feel is beauty just as the visual is beauty.

the process of this design is best summed in a quote by bucky fuller: when I am working on a problem, I never think about beauty. But when I am finished, if the solution is not beautiful, I know it is wrong.

the submitted work is a preliminary exploration into the formative nature of the lever handle.

in this submission, the form that was created by the hand has been sculpted and stylized to simplify the shape and then refined in drawing form to reflect the lessons learned from the model process.