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Project 1: Identity

Introduction project: Map Cube
We were given 16 hours to create an object that concealed part of our identity, either physical or non physical. The material limitations were a 4:3 sheet of paper with a longest length of no more than half our height.

My solution was a map of the world projected onto a cube. I created the cube with tracing paper and reinforcing plastic for strength. Unfortunately due to time limitations the end result didn't look too great, but at least I think the concept was solid even if it wasn't elegant!

Concealed Identity
In this project we were allowed to expand on our original concept of concealing our identity while being allowed to use a large variety of materials. This produced some interesting results, my project resolved into 21 10cm high trees made of solder wire. The concept was to let 20 people play with the tree and do whatever they wanted, while I made my tree and explained the underlying theory of using a tree to express identitity.

The concept here was twofold, on the one hand just by creating a tree that the person thought 'looks right', inevitably that would be a reflection of that persons personality on that object, either consciously or subconsciously. The other concept was thought through over the period of a few days. I was researching and expanding on the idea of a persons identity is both an external and internal 'process'. My initial consideration was that philosophers and psychologists have two concepts of identity, the first being that a persons identity can be considered as a snapshot of that person at a moment in time, while the other is that an identity is essentially a process that changes from moment to moment over the course of someones life. I also though how an identity is layered along with ego and human instinct to create the mind as various psychologists have tried to visualise it. My result was a layered spherical object that moved down a timeline. because this is a 4 dimensional shape I then tried to see how I could metaphorically represent it and came up with a tree. The tree metaphor also allows for 'roots' a person tries to make with the past, different types of tree, and the concept that a persons life inevitably branches out and becomes unique as time goes on.