What was your aesthetic, and how well did you achieve it?

• Dark, creepy, gore aesthetic
• Arabic calligraphy
• Similarities combine:
  • sharp unexpected edges that vary in width.
  • Excessive use of black and dark colors

I chose to use the double-sided acrylic that provides brushed silver on black so that I can have light reflect on the silver and black to have something darker than the shadows. I think the choice of material accentuated the overall aesthetic and made it pop. The project shows two shades of light and shadows at the same time, once in the artifact in itself, and the other the shadow casted due to using a light source in front of it. I am proud of my project because its a stand-alone project and it serves its purpose even when the lights are not on.

What did you learn from your project, and from the class?

I learned a lot from this class. It exposed me to different types of aesthetics. The word aesthetics means so much more than what I had in mind before this class. I also came to know the history of aesthetics and how art evolved throughout the years. As a mechanical engineering student, we are not offered many art-related courses that align with our degree. This class was a dream come true for me. During this last year of my degree, I found myself thinking of what if I wasn’t pursuing a ME degree, and how would it feel like to be an art student. This class gave me that opportunity.

What did you learn from your project, and from the class?

It is definitely not the last time I work on art projects. I have always loved working on art projects since I was a child. Following DIY youtube was a hobby I would never give up. This class gave me more tools as an artist that I can apply to my many projects to come.

What will you do next with the project?

For my final project, it was my first time using a laser cutter for art purposes. After this experience, I am certain to say that after I get my first pay as an employee, buying a laser cutter is the first thing I want to do. I cannot stop thinking of all the possibilities that I can end up doing if I had one at home. As a matter of fact, I have already started working on my next project. It will be a canvas-like artifact that will end up hanging in my house back in Saudi.

What do you wish you had done differently? Compare your original project intent to what you ended up with.

There isn’t one thing I wish I had done differently in my final project. I love it as it is. I honestly did not expect it to turn out the way it did. Maybe, if I were to do something similar, like a sister project, I would make a hollow cube with different engravings on each of its sides and the light source coming from the center so that when its lit in the middle of the room, all four walls including the ceiling is oriented/designed with shadows.