Possibility of Path
Yu Gao
I hope to break away from the conventional definition of “path”—predetermined—to embark on a comprehensive exploration
of paths, and use what I found in the visual communication field, such as the visual guide, typography, the
transformation between verbal or written narrative into a visual narrative, ways how books are read and how they are
designed, etc. It aims to unravel multiple forms and interpretations paths encompass, such as their unpredictability,
variability, and flexibility. furthermore, this thesis will delve into the deep-rooted connection between paths and life
through metaphor, unearthing how a path’s shape or other physical characteristics can be related to the abstract word
“life.”
Possibility of Paths, Thesis book
Paths in Paths
This book delves into the theme of "path," presenting ten distinct projects by various artists, each exploring the concept in its own unique way. Ten projects are arranged in ascending order, reflecting the scale of the paths they portray. The presentation of each project unfolds as a continuous line of text, spanning multiple pages until the completion of its content. However, every thousand millimeters, images will appear. The path of the text will be obstructed by the appearance of the images. This intentional layout design creates a distinctive effect, symbolizing key moments along the journey.
Take a Walk, Left & Right
In this project, I wanted to divert the attention of walkers from the map on their phone or the over-eager desire to reach their destination, to the path they are walking on. I set a very simple rule. Within 15 minutes, people need to complete all turns in this order: turn right, turn left, turn right, turn left, turn right, turn right, turn left, turn left, and then turn right. (During my pre-testing, I came up with this arbitrary order. It was able to make the route complex enough yet easy enough to complete in 15 minutes.) Because of this rule, navigation and destinations lose their roles. Guided by this rule, I hope that people will be liberated from the constraints of navigation and destination, and can freely explore the neighborhood in which they are located.
Paths of Instant Noodles, Poster
Path as Metaphor: The Journey of Thelma & Louise
Road movies are a well-known genre in cinema. In these films, the relationships between the characters, and even their life paths, change as the journey progresses. Such films reveal a profound, reflective relationship between the journey of life and our physical travels. It suggests that the roads taken (in both a literal and symbolic sense) are not merely paths but reflections of life’s choices, experiences, and transformations. Beyond showcasing the mutual reflection of roads and life paths, in this project, I use film dialogue as a tool to narrate the entire movie story, interspersing it with the scenery the protagonists see along their journey. It demonstrates how dialogues, narrative storytelling, and these metaphorical paths reflect themes such as freedom, identity, and rebellion, thus providing a richer, more detailed understanding of the film’s impact and significance.