MFA Blog Post #6: Not Impressive.

What primary ideas, questions, or challenges do you feel your work has revealed to you as you have been working?
One primary theme that my work has been surfacing is the question of how and why the audience interacts with the work. This is mostly in relation to their interaction with the kinetic, but also in the frequent mental return to the idea of a pop-up sculpture. Another question that is arising for me is the role of tools and process. For a long time, using accessible and simple tools has been an important part of my process for me. Now that I am using more tools that are less accessible, I feel the work changes. Processing that change feels challenging. 
What have you been most proud of in this process as this Body of Work for your Adventure and developed?
I am still most proud of the fact that I've been able to actually make a sculpture move. I feel like I needed to prove that to myself in order to even consider how I will take advantage of movement in my art. 
Are you aware of any changes you wish you could go back and adjust in your process thus far?
The things I'm learning right now haven't solidified into a solid "process." I perhaps somewhat wish I had been able to be more consistent in what I wanted at the beginning, but I am still currently enjoying and being motivated by every variable path that the semester has included, so I don't think I made a real mistake.
Have any research artists or new techniques added to your investigation in the past 2 weeks.  If so, who/what and how has this contributed, altered, and/or influenced your progress.
New technique investigation include the plasma torch and the beginnings of what I need to do for the laser cutter. I must confess that I feel an intimidation about the laser cutter that has caused a delay somewhat. I have been doing a lot of thought about the implications of automated cuts (laser cutter, ironworker) versus manual cuts (x-acto knife, plasma torch).
Post at least 2 images documenting your present stage of creating  
I have to confess I don't have a visual update for where I am creation-wise. The last week has been primarily reading my new mechanical book, preparing the vector file for the laser cutter, and feeling a little intimidated overall.