UMass Dartmouth Senior Capstone Project
I have nothing to hide.
This project evolved dramatically over the course of 14 weeks. In fact, my whole world evolved over the course of those 14 weeks. I was at a very different point in my life than most seniors in college. I was 25 years old, engaged to be married, planning a wedding, and if that wasn’t enough, I bought my first house in the middle of the final semester of my senior year. As much as I tried to keep my personal life out of my designs, it just kept showing through. So instead of fighting, I embraced it.
Believe it or not, this installation is a reflection of me. The process of packing up my belongings and getting ready to move into my first house inspired me. I realized just how much "stuff" I owned.
I decided to take inventory of every single item in my apartment. I used this information to experiment with different methods of showing the collected data. My inventory list ended up being over 35 pages long. (Talk about hoarding!)
I was uncomfortable sharing my recordings with everyone, but I knew that vulnerability would make this project relatable and successful. I decided the best way to reflect these elements was to create an installation out of glass.
Knowing my limits narrowed down my options.
This project would have been huge if I had the tools. Sadly, the laser cutter I had access to only accommodated a 12″x24″ surface. To get the most out of the dimensions while showing all my collected data, this project had to be layered. I started by designing my lists on two different artboards, keeping in mind there would be an overlapping area. Each side of the installation would represent one room. The outer plane represented the items that I kept, and the inner plane represented the items that I donated or threw away.
Repetitiveness was key. Because I wanted to show the unbelievable amount of stuff, I listed each item out, repeating the words to represent the number I owned. For example, I had 39 razors, so I repeated the word “Razor” 39 times.
How it all came together.
I designed my list in the shape of a perfect circle because this project changed my outlook, and I had come “full circle” in my journey of clearing clutter. I also enjoyed the contrast between the two layers. When put together, they complete a circle. When layered, they form an organized, yet chaotic list which accurately represents how these items lived in my home.
After experimenting with real glass and having panels break in transport, I switched to using acrylic glass. This also made the installation easier to set up, because it was lighter in weight. To be on display, the glass layers needed to be secured to something, so I made the base out of maple wood. I inlaid a strand of LED lights to make the etched words easier to read. When on display, the lights cycle through 16 different colors. The final installation stands 2 ft tall, and is 15”x15” around.