Self-Illumination

The design process involves a rigorous cycle of constant feedback and countless iterations. With every new angle and added perspective, your project continuously shifts and expands. While the process of this growth may be informed by external resources, the soul of your project starts from you. Who you are as the active driver and voice of your project greatly impacts the intention and outcome of your piece.

In this studio, students will use self-reflection and formative memories as inspiration to communicate and express their unique individuality. The challenge will be to distill this concept in the form of light incorporating electronics and new media to convey the subtle intricacies and complexities of one's identity. Whether it is a wall mounted sculpture that syncopates with your breath and speaks to your meditative nature or a light projector that displays a landscape of your birthplace, or even a wearable sun lamp that captures a special memory of your time in the outdoors, the options are endless.

Conceptual goals:

  • Abstract hard to define elements such as characteristics, persona, emotion, etc.
  • Convey a message through performance, interaction
  • Understand the effects and reading of color, formal qualities, and context
  • Conduct a formal and conceptual investigation of space and light

Technical skills:

  • Learn to control and mediate light as a medium (programmable lights using arduino)
  • Curate how pieces are activated, used, interacted with (sensors, installation, etc.)
  • Transform and manipulate different materials to achieve desired quality and effect (digital fabrication, modeling)