Jessica Herbert-Smith BA (Hons) Three Dimensional Design
My creative practice is about forming a connection between my work and the viewer. Existing as an interactive art installation that narrates trends in human behaviour. Currently portraying the human presence in a communal area, specifically within the Art school. Observing the lack of people and trying to celebrate the sense of community which existed in pre-pandemic times. I aim to celebrate the sociable atmosphere we’ve lost.
Public spaces are more still than we are used to or they were designed to be, creating a sense of emptiness and abandonment. I want to try and imitate that atmosphere of human busyness through my design. As a space that used to be a hub of human activity I aim to commemorate this not highlight the lack of it.
For my most recent project I created an interactive drawing robot that reacts to peoples movements. Creating a pencil mark every time they detect a persons presences, artistically reimaging human activity through drawing. I use electronics to make my work more interactive, using sensors to pick up peoples movement which is then reimagined in the form of pencil marks. The visual language of my work has an industrial element, utilising materials such as wood and 3D printed PLA . People are always the starting point in my projects, whether I am exploring human emotion or the presence of people, the concept starts from a human perspective. I fabricate these forms digitally; incorporating Arduino circuit boards and sensors to create interaction in my design. I have also started to present ideas digitally, creating animations through MAYA and fusion to communicate physical designs.
