"Zero"

For my Newly Formed Class, we were asked to explore the meaning of Zero (project description can be found below). For that assignment I started to brain storm the different interpretations and associations that we make to it.

My thought process began with considering how the word itself is used. We often use it to symbolize something that is outstanding or different from other items in its category, often because it has a distinct function. It can also suggest adjustability or hybridity, like hybrid creatures, or formats that can be played in any region, referred to as “region 0.” Zero is also hybrid in a numerical sense, since it can align with both even and odd classifications.

Zero can mimic an action or appearance; it mirrors, reflects, and contributes. It looks similar to other forms but functions differently. This duality led me to consider zero in relation to a circle.

These qualities then reminded me of the human fingerprint or thumbnail print. Like zero, they are hybrid and unique, changing from one person to another. They coexist in different spaces, serving as physical identifiers, appearing in legal government documents, and functioning as digital access tools. They hold cross-sectional functionality – sometimes granting access, sometimes denying it.

Drawing on these parallel themes of hybridity, reflection, and functionality, I chose to photograph my own thumbnail prints in editorial ways and transform them into patterns. This exploration led to expressive and interesting forms that truly encapsulate all of the zero themes noted earlier.