Status Symbols is a series of virtual portraits that are studies of identity in the digital age of social media. Textual updates on sites such as Twitter and Facebook allow for virtual personas to be created with the prodding of, “What are you doing?” or “What’s on your mind?” Status Symbols showcases these text-based identities created from these status updates. Abstract portraits are created with spinning LEDs that translate written words & characters into flashing bursts of light. Custom hardware and software is used to transform the text into binary code with ons and offs of colored light. Each portrait represents a fleeting moment of identity in this digital society.