Step 1 – Measure
Begin by taking the measurements of yourself and someone else (this could be your artistic collaborator, your lover, someone you dislike, your dog, etc.). For both you and your partner, measure height, weight and age. Next, subtract the other persons’ measurements from your measurements. Write down the results. Example: Person A is 150 lbs. and person B is 175 lbs.
175 – 150 = 25 lbs.
Step 2 – Find your Material: Difference in Height and Weight
Next, find one material that exactly matches the constraints of your difference in height and weight. Depending on how drastic your difference is, the ideal material could vary between something very light, heavy, large or small. Whether it is wood, sand, metal, plaster, feathers, etc. your material should be chosen based on how precisely it fits into the constraint of your difference in height and weight. The form is up to you and could be dependent on your choice of material (a pile, a sphere, a cube, etc.) Example: A difference in height of 12″ and a difference in weight of 3 lbs. might result in a cube of solid wood.
Step 3 – Find your Material: Difference in Age
Next, find an object or material that exactly matches the constraints of your difference in age. The material or object should be representative of time and duration in some form, whether abstract or literal. This could be something as simple as a wristwatch, a digital clock or a calendar. Or it could be something less literal; a material that represents time more metaphorically, such as a pile of sand. As with your difference in height and weight, your material will be dependent on the vastness of your difference in age. A one-year age difference would produce drastically different results and materials from a ten-minute age difference.
Step 4 – Display
Once you have found or fabricated your objects, you will choose how to display them. If they are small enough, you can place them on a pedestal or shelf. If they are larger, you may choose to place them directly on the floor. Now take a step back and try to think of a good title for your piece. Never underestimate the power of a good title.
