Scanography

At Home Experimentation

Materials: Plastic stencils, black paper, color-changing lamp

Since I was sick again this week, I decided to do a little practice at home to get the hang of my scanner, as I had never used it before. For these scans, I layered 4 plastic stencils on the scanner bed and moved a color-changing lamp across the scanner's side and top in different ways. For some of the scans, I introduced a black piece of paper, hoping it would help the lamp's colors pop with different settings. That didn't really work out with my scanner, but I still got some interesting results that remind me of sheet music!

Series 1

Materials: Ikea rat plushie, packing tape, my hand

For my homework, I gave up on my lamp and stencils and decided to take a new route with materials that felt more personally meaningful. I have been thinking a lot about my childhood as I study to become an educator. As a kid, I had undiagnosed ADHD and would get very anxious at school. I felt different than the other kids and was bullied for my interests, especially my love of rodents. When I moved in 3rd grade, I decided to suppress parts of my identity in order to fit in, even changing the name I went by for several years. Hence, for series 1, I focused on themes of restriction, anxiety, and control. Through a repetitive constrained gesture, Series 1 explores the emotional pressure of conforming and the tension it creates within students who feel they must hide to be accepted.

Series 2

Materials: cut plastic binder inserts, Ikea rat plushie, my hand

Series 2 is a direct response to Series 1, focusing on self-acceptance, flexibility, and love. The combination of kind gestures between a hand and a stuffed toy, and the soft, colorful layers enveloping them, reflects the importance of empathy, trust, and supportive relationships in both personal growth and educational settings. This process also aligned with my personal learning objectives by expanding my new media toolkit and reinforcing my interest in connecting digital and familiar physical materials. By introducing students to new media, educators can expand opportunities for emotional expression and identity exploration, helping foster a more inclusive and supportive classroom environment.

Bonus!

Dancing rat GIF!