The goal

My final project is a laser cut string art work piece. Using Adobe Illustrater on my computer, I drew five types of shapes resembling outer space. Then, I used Adobe Illustrator on my IPad to write the sentence “the path is never linear.” I laser cut the shapes and letters onto red fluorescent acrylic, making a small hole in each shape. After that, I braided cotton yarn to create a base string, and hung up each shape one by one with individual pieces of yarn. After assembling the piece, I secured the knots with clear nail polish and weaved battery operated stringlights into the base string. The piece is meant to represent the process, or “path” of life. The idea is that no individual leads a life where all of their expectations are met; there is a random component to how we move forward and see progress. Each letter is randomly distributed to form a winding and crooked sentence path. These differing heights and orientations mimic the ups and downs of individual experience, unpredictable but continuously moving forward. Each letter is necessary to reach the next, showing how every experience shapes a part of our identity, setting the stage for the next high or low. In the end we realize that the randomness is what distinguishes us from others and writes our story, our perspective guiding whether we look back at it in a negative or positive way.

The Project