I created this piece with the idea of planetary orbits in mind. More specifically how it is very easy for stellar bodies to orbit each other but very difficult for them to actually touch. I think this is a very good metaphor for isolation and mental health and specifically, how mental health and isolation can interact with each other like two stellar bodies pulling on each other in space. On one hand, isolation can make mental health issues much worse as seen in depression quest. The deciding factor in whether or not the protagonist recovers is if they reach out to friends and family, seen in figure 2 with the option of staying isolated leading to ruin. On the other hand, mental health issues can also contribute to isolation. This is also seen in Depression Quest where the protagonist’s depression, seen in figure 3, makes it hard for them to go out and socialize.

I chose an art project to represent the emotional aspect of isolation as it is a very difficult concept to accurately explain in words. Karuna Nair explains that “audio-visual media can express emotional subtleties that are difficult to express in words and create higher recognition and relevance for people accustomed to postmodern media forms” Nair et al., a concept that I wanted to use by letting the viewer apply their own thinking and experiences to an art piece. Overall, “Orbit” was designed to represent isolation, mental health, and the relationship between the two.