Questioning

When we look at an object, how do we know how to use it?
Is the purpose of an object defined by its maker or its user?
How do we learn to use new objects?

These are the questions that prompted me to explore the relationships we, as humans, have with objects. Through a series of visual explorations, I question and discover how meaning is attached to the way we think about and use objects in our everyday lives. I’m interested in how these interactions define who we are as individuals and as humans collectively.

Objects have become a part of our social and spatial environments. By exploring these interactions, I hope to discover new ways of interaction and push the boundaries of what makes an object usable.

Approaching

In a world where there is no shortage of materials goods, most of these products can be overlooked as they are incorporated into our daily lives. When these objects become so common that they become “invisible” we are required to take a different approach to see them in a new light and question why things are the way that they are.

Challenging

To challenge the physical, logical and cultural affordances of objects, I took a set of common objects and abstracted their forms. I chose cutlery as the subject because of its familiarity in terms of form and usability.

Reflecting

The goal of this project was not to solve a specific “real-world” problem. Rather it provokes questions and contemplation about things in our lives that are often taken for granted. By making the familiar strange, we allow ourselves to wonder why things are the way that they are and whether or not it has to stay that way. These questions are the first step in making valuable change possible.