Week 4 – Text Art

Concept

My artwork “Can You Understand Me?” explores human connectedness through language and the barriers that can arise when communication breaks down. The phrase “Can you understand me?” is a simple but powerful question, expressing both the desire for connection and the frustration of being misunderstood. By placing this phrase in multiple world languages on the screen, I wanted to highlight the diversity of expression and the universality of the human need to be heard.

The floating words and question marks represent the fluid, sometimes chaotic nature of communication. They drift, interact, and repel—mirroring how language can bring people closer or push them apart, depending on understanding.

Code Highlight (what I’m most proud of)

One feature I’m especially proud of is the repelling effect from the mouse. I designed this so that when the mouse gets too close, the words push away. It represents the tension we sometimes feel in conversation—when misunderstanding or pressure creates distance, even when connection is desired.

Repel from mouse let mouse = createVector(mouseX, mouseY);
let d = dist(this.pos.x, this.pos.y, mouse.x, mouse.y);
if (d < 200) {
let force = p5.Vector.sub(this.pos, mouse);
force.setMag(8 / max(d, 1));
this.vel.add(force);
}

This snippet calculates the distance between each word and the mouse, then generates a force pushing the word away when the mouse is within 200 pixels. It’s a small detail but adds a lot of dynamic personality to the sketch.

Embedded Sketch

Reflection

Working on this project taught me how much movement and interaction can symbolize deeper human experiences. The floating words show how languages circulate and intermingle globally, while the mouse repulsion adds an element of friction, symbolizing the challenges of cross-cultural communication.

Reference

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