1 / ONE
What I got from the Random Generator Machine was 1. I decided I was going to use both the number 1 and the word one. The first thing I did was create a mind map and start brainstorming. I wrote down any word or thing that occurred to me that I could relate to 1. I ended up with a list and map made up of many words, all going in different directions in terms of meaning. At first I thought of doing something with the origin or with the base of something, since 1 is the base unit for all numbers. But that did not take me far.
After discussing everyone’s projects and ideas I ended up with a whole different plan. What I was now going to do, was look for every 1 and every one I could find on the streets, or any place for that matter. I went out and started walking down every street I came across with and took photographs or posters, pin pads, buttons, signs, price tags, apartment numbers, etc. The point is I had no idea there were so many ones out there! I found it incredible how many I had seen before but not really looked. I am sure I had seen at least 10% of the ones I photographed but never really noticed until I did this experiment.
After realizing this, I gave my experiment another meaning. You have no idea what you are seeing until you are looking for it. It is also amazing the different kind of meanings the word one or the number 1 can have, depending on its context. The all look the same, and they are spelled the same, but they are different in every way. Every single one I took a picture of has a different meaning. Wether its telling you what apartment that is, or how much a banana costs, or on what level are you.
The number 1 and the word one are used to give people directions, prices, telephone numbers, and one million things more. You just have to find those ones and use your imagination! That is what art is about. People who don’t believe in art probably think there are only two meanings to it, which is the number, and the pronoun. So the idea of this experiment is to make you think of something deeper than just the superficial part of 1. It takes you further into exploring your creativity and your way of thinking.
Experiment 1 was about exploring the different ways in which the number 1 or the word one can be found in our everyday lives.
I walked closely through the streets of Sydney looking for any physical ones I could find. Well, there are million ones in the entire city. From license plates, to pin pads, to price tags. I went into a few shops as well; bookstores and grocery stores were the most popular ones with ones in them.
I have also included a fun part to the experiment. I bought some craft sticks, rubbers, chalk, and markers to take the experimentation a little further, as Paul suggested. Aside from the ‘already made’ ones, I decided to create some of my one. These are related to measurements. How do we know the correct measurement of things? Well, primarily by using items that will help us determine their dimensions, such as rulers and measuring tapes. But what if these items were altered? Then, the measurements will still be correct, just different. This is called ART.
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