We The People: Post-Preamble by

We The People: Post-Preamble

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WE THE PEOPLE is a flawed realization of the intended purpose of government, allowing us to call into question not only the mechanisms through which it operates but also to critically think about the true intentions of the founding fathers.

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The first letter of the American Preamble, ‘W’, as it finished on the 3D printer.
Assembled image of the words “We the people” in Jefferson’s formal handwriting, compiled from the image of each letter (or group of letters) on the 3D printer bed.
(Same alt text caption for all 3 of these) “We the People,” vertically 3D printed in transparent PLA without supports and formally assembled on a wooden stand. Each letter was printed on its own and every iteration of the artwork would produce slightly different printing errors. When the phrase is assembled, the reference to Jefferson’s handwriting on the Constitution of the United States becomes clear and the artwork stands on its own.
(Same alt text caption for all 3 of these) “We the People,” vertically 3D printed in transparent PLA without supports and formally assembled on a wooden stand. Each letter was printed on its own and every iteration of the artwork would produce slightly different printing errors. When the phrase is assembled, the reference to Jefferson’s handwriting on the Constitution of the United States becomes clear and the artwork stands on its own.
(Same alt text caption for all 3 of these) “We the People,” vertically 3D printed in transparent PLA without supports and formally assembled on a wooden stand. Each letter was printed on its own and every iteration of the artwork would produce slightly different printing errors. When the phrase is assembled, the reference to Jefferson’s handwriting on the Constitution of the United States becomes clear and the artwork stands on its own.
A movable art piece: the printed text could be configured anywhere, and here is completed (including extra flourishes) on a household shelf.
The 3D model of the text, which was then printed letter-by-letter. The digital version shows none of the flaws which inevitably happen during the process of 3D printing; it demonstrates simple intentionality, which in a digital, theoretical environment might be enough to hold the shape. However, the digital landscape does not have to follow all of the laws of reality, and in order to realize the intention flawlessly, it would need to undergo a reconstruction conscious of the limitations of reality.

 

“We the People” is an immediately recognizable American symbol, both the words and the letters themselves in Thomas Jefferson’s own handwriting. My artwork translates this phrase in Jefferson’s writing into a font and is about the constraints of reality: the translation of that phrase, with all its flourishes, into a physical object will inevitably result in a changed image. Just as the laws of physics are only introduced to the artwork once it is printed, this iconic phrase inevitably meets the complications of reality in the actual practice of legislation. With this, I demonstrate that intentionality alone is not enough to support an ideology or a people. This work began as a handmade digital model, and each letter was 3D-printed in transparent filament without structural supports. The unique machine failures on each letter due to the influence of gravity on the printing process, as well as the interference of the artist (poking and weighing down parts of each letter as they were printing, just as special interest groups poke and push at our legislative system), provide a new vision of our country each time the work is produced. No two prints will result in the same distortions, each being a result of the specific context in which it was made: the air temperature inside the machine, the specific curves of the unsupported filament, the rattling of the letters to unsettle their smooth edges – every iteration of this artwork is inevitably linked to the unique physical state of the setting of its creation. The transparent PLA used to print the words, as well, is proven to not actually be transparent when put into practice because of the restraints of the 3D printing machine, further illustrating the failure to translate good intentions into actual practice. Fully assembled, WE THE PEOPLE is a flawed realization of the intended purpose of government, allowing us to call into question not only the mechanisms through which it operates but also to critically think about the true intentions of the founding fathers: it’s undeniable that their idea of liberty was not universal, even among the white men they privileged.

Vasi Bjeletich (BA ’24) originally created “We The People: Post-Preamble” in David Brooks’s Fall 2023 Arts Workshop “The Copy.”

Thumbnail image courtesy of author.

 
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