[CPS Week 3] Found Object

In response to the theme of Found Object, I made a sign projector showing the resemblance of a chocolate bar via key caps and envelop cloth.

By deconstructing the hierarchy of the target object I’ve utilised the visual character and entitled it to my found objects. As the modern culture interprets the chocolate bar its appearance frequently consists of square bricks and silver wrap. Besides, the vast variance of chocolate, such as colours and flavours etc., makes the target object more recognisable and the signifier has heavily printed in people’s minds.

By picking and re-ordering the letters on the key caps, I have emphasised the New Criticism of interpretation and aesthetics. As readers could come to different conclusions, the work has subtle hints to express, which depends on what individuals conceive. In my case, “Play Refresh Like F5” means that only games can be easily refreshed like pressing the F5 key.

By extending the experiment, I also tried methods like colourising the key caps so that they look more like the chocolate’s texture. Although some failed, I found the flexibility behind the craftsmanship.

Similar work has been produced by an artist named Erik Jensen. He utilised the trait of the shape of the key cap, which is like a large coloured pixel, and put various coloured key caps together to create a painting, which is really attractive and playful. As the painting can actually be touchable, the work is yet another demonstration of interactive arts.