...it starts.

This blog serves as a record of my Extended Major Project at the Arts University College Bournemouth.

For my Extended Major Project I want to explore my interest in participatory art forms and expand upon my work from my Digital Revolution project last year. (Which you can find here: http://chaosfollows.blogspot.com/2009/05/i-found-your-balloon.html) I am inspired by projects such as Postsecret and FOUND Magazine, which allow a brief glimpse into the thoughts and life of another individual.

I want to explore the idea of identity and representation of the self, both my own identity and the identity portrayed by a stranger to a stranger. I am intrigued by the idea of “first impressions”, and the differences between how we try to represent ourselves and how we are actually observed by others.

I intend to experiment with different ways of collecting peoples opinions, so as to gain an understanding of the different ways in which an individual will choose to portray him or herself. I find it interesting to note the details people feel are relevant and those details they choose to leave out; the discarded aspects of their personality.

My aim is to create several physical representations of the varying aspects of my personality and then have them anonymously subjected to a strangers’ judgment. I will then ask the stranger to briefly describe the impression they get of this person. I will then use this feedback to inform a series of animations depicting the “multiple personalities”.

I am completely undecided on the aesthetics of my final outcome at the moment and therefore intend to thoroughly research other creative practitioners and experiment with a variety of approaches. I am currently being inspired by one interactive animation project by BubblyNumbers and another by Chiu Kwong Man, though I do not invisage my work mimicing either of their styles. (Available from: http://www.book-of-numbers.com/ and http://www.myeyeisonfire.net/sex_lies_fairytales.html)