This project is an attempt to manifest the interface of the computer in the "real" world. Over the past decade, computers have turned into common communication and creative tools with immense power. Many people, especially students at a technical school such as this one, spend many hours of each day in front of a computer monitor; to these people, the interface of their computer is like their own specialized world. By recontextualizing the common language of the computer, the campus of RPI will be turned into an expansive computer desktop. I hope to initiate discussion about the ubiquity and usage of computers and the way they communicate with us (and vice versa.)
The original concept for this project was to create a series of mosaics based on icons from Mac OS. I was going to place these mosaics in labs and offices around campus. After doing some research, I decided that the project would get more exposure and could be done more cheaply using chalk.
One of the benefits of using chalk was that I could make the icons much larger, and I could put them down without worrying about theft or vandalism. Chalk washes away with the next large rainstorm, so it wasn't much of a problem if someone walked over it or rode over it.
In my original project specification, I proposed chalking 9 icons throughout campus. However, reality set in; each icon took me approximately an hour and a half to finish, and since I was working in the evening/night, my time was limited. I ended up drawing four icons: one at the end of the JEC Walkway, one between the VCC and the Library, one between Lally and Amos Eaton, and one on the pathway from Amos Eaton to Sage Labs.
You can look at some photos of the results, as well as the icons they were based on, here.
Plans
Results