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We Are All Immigrants

This piece is meant to be a reflection of American values, and to help people recognize that the vast majority of us are descended from immigrants to this country.

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Process Documentation

This project was based on the protests around the attempted repeal of DACA. I gathered images of signs that I found compelling as a starting position.

  • Initial image trace

Initially, I ran the image through a series of filters in order to extract the lines, but I then determined that this method was undesirable.

  • English Version
  • Spanish Version

I decided to detach the text from the sign and recontextualize it while maintaining the spirit of the original.

  • Letter DXF File Layout
  • Strikethrough DXF File Layout

I arranged all the components in Rhino for laser cutting and printed out my first 1/3 scale mockup.

Originally, I had planned for this to be a double sided item, suspended from the ceiling and spinning. After prototyping this, I decided that the piece seemed cluttered and decided to change the way I presented it to mounting the piece on opposing walls in close quarters.

During the project, I learned of mirrored acrylic, and decided this could be incorporated into my project to make the message far more powerful. I decided to use the mirrored acrylic for all the items except the Americans part, to maintain legibility. For the strikethrough scribble and ‘Immigrants’ sections, I left the mirrored finish pristine. For the ‘We Are All’ sections of the text, I used a semigloss transparent finish spraypaint to give the mirror a duller, more aged looked. This was to signify a shifting in ideals.

  • Aged mirror finish
  • Mirror finish over black acrylic
  • Mirror Finish