Physics Circuit Project by Taylor Veasley Water Stream

Artist Statement  

It was a beautiful day in April at the outdoor flea market outside of the Eastern State Penitentiary when I first saw it. In the 2 years I had been attending this flea market I had never seen anything like it. It was love at first sight, radiant as it sat on the old creaky side table while its owner argued about prices and worth. It had so much history, someone’s “suitcase”, the box that once held their belongings, held in their nervous, excited palms, sweating with anticipation. I love thinking of the stories behind the person that left me with this object; the solid clink of metal as the gold clasps are undone, the smell of adventures, dreams and people forgotten escaping through the cracks. I believe this is much more than just a box, it once carried someone on a journey.  Whether they were just taking a vacation or running from the CIA makes no difference to me. I now carry my life in it, (though I don’t actually carry it around in my room) it holds everything that I cherish in life. I am creating my own history with it.

This box represents me because it has a certain nomadic presence to it, like at any moment you could fill it up with a few things and just go. Thats how I feel I am, like I could pick up my things and go anywhere that the wind would take me. The lights represent my future. When I open the box and the lights come on it makes me think about my life in the future. I think about the places I want to travel to, the experiences I want to have, the job I want to have, and who I want to become. I also like that the lights will illuminate all of the things that I place in that box that I value. The objects have to do with my present and past which will consequently affect my future.

I love the quote by Lana del Rey, “I belonged to no one who belonged to everyone, who had nothing who wanted everything with a fire for every experience and an obsession for freedom that terrified me to the point that I couldn't even talk about and pushed me to a nomadic point of madness that both dazzled and dizzied me.”  I feel like this box represents the freedom to do anything and go anywhere.