100 Days

I completed this creative experiment in Fall 2021, inspired by Michael Bierut’s 100-Day Project. The prompt was to repeat the same design operation every day for 100 days and I opted to create abstract paint blots. There were ebbs and flows throughout the process as I experimented with different modes of application, and some days it felt like a chore while others a ritual. Nevertheless, every day for 100 days I carefully selected a palette and with devoted precision balanced drops of paint onto an 11x14 piece of paper that I ultimately folded in half. I enthusiastically embraced the analog practice as it afforded the opportunity to relinquish control and fluidly iterate each day. I never knew what to expect from the end result, and the surprise upon unfolding the paper was reward enough to continue.

As an extension of the project, I have been actively collecting blot interpretations from individuals around the globe. It has proven to be an alluring channel for self-expression, and a fascinating lens to examine the infinite perspectives through which we each see the world. No two interpretations are alike, and the level of detail and depth that some share is astounding. There are connections made with childhood memories, anthropomorphic forms, fantastical worlds, cultural traditions, and beyond.

Our innate human desire to attribute meaning to what we see is no doubt informed by the full arc of our respective paths -- when you were born, where you grew up, the structure of one’s family, religious beliefs, artistic tendencies, etc. I am fascinated by how this truth translates to less prescribed forms with full narratives born of minor asymmetries -- how a blob of red paint can appear to some as a "traditional Kabuki theatre performance", "the feeling of floating inside a lava lamp", or... "a very plump rooster."

This project was presented during Carnegie Mellon University’s Design Week in December 2021 and is currently on view at Gallery 543 in Philadelphia.

Please share your interpretations below!