Becoming the Space in Between: A Journey of Self-Reflection and Discovery Through Time

During my third semester at VCFA, I discovered a deep personal connection to the word, the concept, 'space'. In its elusive, all-encompassing, and undefined essence, space defies definition, form, and category, yet, it occupies a meaningful place within the evolution of all human thought. Space can be considered a quantifiable 'thing' just as much as an ethereal 'non-thing'. It is empty, it is filled, and in art and design, it is indispensable. Us, designers, use space as both an artistic element and as a tool to understand and express life experience. As such, space is thus the reflection and the catalyst of our aesthetic impulses and of our making tendencies.

This led me to wonder: What is the nature of my personal relationship to space and how does that relationship inform or affect my sense of beauty and my aesthetic impulses? Furthermore, what can artists and designers learn from the principles of spatial theory to understand their own making tendencies and, in turn, the power of their work?

These were the guiding questions at the core of my thesis. Becoming Space is a personal journey along two parallel paths of inquiry. The first, paved with curiosity and introspection, seeks to understand the development of key aspects of identity: specifically those linked to the ways in which I understand and navigate the world around me. The second path, guided by the principles of Spatial Theory, aims to explore a spectrum of ideas about how we fundamentally conceive of, relate to, interact with, and ultimately portray space. In tandem, each path of inquiry offers a unique lens through which our work, as artists and designers, can be considered and assessed. More importantly, however, as these paths meet and then merge, ground is paved for powerful personal epiphanies to emerge.