I chose to represent my three objects using an app on my phone to render the objects in 3D using Lidar and spatial imaging. We can get some sense of these objects from the 3D scans of them, sort of... The uncanny representation and the removal of the objects from their temporal homes makes us reexamine our relationships with the things around us. The 3D imaging forced me to really be present with the objects that I was scanning for a couple minutes at a time
My backpack
Lately, my backpack has been feeling like a real physical extension of myself; if I do not bring my backpack with me, I am not really certain of who I am. But decidedly, I am a whole person even when I do not have my backpack. In thinking about this, it is curious to me whether the importance lies on the vessel of the backpack itself or what is carried inside. There is a comfort in knowing that with my backpack I am prepared for whatever could come up, only so long as whatever comes up can be resolved using my laptop, a folder, and a half-eaten granola bar. So maybe it really isn't about what's in the backpack? Does my green backpack really have a little life of its own? Using a 3D scan as the medium is able to capture that the backpack is full and used, but there is no possible way to see what is inside. This way of documenting makes it possible for me to think of this mundane object as a full concept, as well as to separate it from myself.
The Fridge
I picked the fridge because I spend a lot of time looking at it. The kitchen is one of the most alive rooms in the house, with all of the cooking activities and the various appliances that sit waiting to be used. The fridge is special, though. In the past 2 years, I've decided to become a magnet collector; I love looking for pretty and/or weird things to stick on the fridge. The fridge in my room is one of my favorite places to decorate. In the group house that I cook and eat in on campus, the fridge is a constant hub of activities. In addition to doing its typical temperature control duties, it is a spot to write and deliver messages to my housemates, to share our group calendar, and for funny magnets. The fridge in my dorm room feels different from all the other major fridges in my life, it feels separated from its natural environment (the kitchen). Using the same 3D rendering isolates my dorm fridge even more than how it feels in real life.
Myself
I chose to 3D scan myself when I was playing with how the technology works, but I now am really interested in having this digital copy of myself. My friend and I scanned each other for fun and then realized we could use my phone to manipulate the 3D version to virtually move around in the space. I felt a little silly posing for the pictures, because I wasn't actually seeing that giant version of myself, only my friend behind the camera could. I am really interested in the idea of presence. While taking the photos, computer me didn't exist in the real world, but in computer world, this (strangely resolved) version of me (frozen in time) will last forever. My computer feels a less lonely place with me in it, but 3D me isn't really me... Is she?
A less successful 3D scan - for enjoyment
