After doing shadow studies with basic forms, I integrated the alphabet to learn how type can be shown as shadows. I developed ideas of creating interesting shapes with different forms of background using different materials and forms that I learned from previous study.
I used opaque and transparent cubes as background where shadows of a laser-cut alphabet projected. Simple and familiar shapes of the alphabet changed to unique shapes. By only changing the angle of light, so many different shapes were created.
To preserve the shapes of shadows cast by the letters, I took a photo and brought it into the computer and made vector versions of the letters and even designed the shadow shapes in 3D program and printed with a 3D printer. Ephemeral shadow letters become permanent and tangible showing interesting ways of adding unique characteristics to alphabets.
These shadow-letters showed the boundary of legibility with letters. This finding drove me to play with the readable moment of the letter. I dissected letters vertically and horizontally and printed them on separate pieces of acetate. Alignment in two different layers, either parallel or perpendicular, would cast legible letters with only certain angles of light.
The idea of dissecting letters into multiple layers showed interesting directions to play with in the moment of readability with the ephemeral qualities of shadows.
