digital design projects
behind the painting | an artist's motivation
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School of Museum of Fine Arts | April 2015 | Painting Class
Coming from different backgrounds and carrying different stories, these incredible artists still join one another in a small classroom at SMFA and dedicate hours every day to do painting. Why is art important to these students? Why are they passionate about this artistic medium? Through my short visit to their class, I aim to explore these powerful motivations behind why they have chosen to devote their time to art. My curiosity leads me to ponder on questions of how passions and diversity can bring people together in one setting. And this class is a perfect example of it.
Coming from different backgrounds and carrying different stories, these incredible artists still join one another in a small classroom at SMFA and dedicate hours every day to do painting. Why is art important to these students? Why are they passionate about this artistic medium? Through my short visit to their class, I aim to explore these powerful motivations behind why they have chosen to devote their time to art. My curiosity leads me to ponder on questions of how passions and diversity can bring people together in one setting. And this class is a perfect example of it.
stereotypes | vietnamese culture
Growing up within different values in the multicultural world, I have always been fascinated about how society views individuals and their cultures. Living in a parallel stream of Russian and Vietnamese cultures enabled me analyze stereotypical norms that everything I encounter seems to portray. Through my concentration “Stereotypes”, I aim to explore ideas from common prejudices, cultural values to individual pain, while manipulating elements of design in photography to clearly express my concepts.
In my first two concentrations, I emphasized the negative association of wealthy to arrogant, dull to boring, to illustrate society’s shallowness. Afterwards, my next two pieces manipulated drawing into photographical effects to portray significance of family manners and high education to an Asian community and to my family. These pieces particularly stand out due to their positive nature, a stereotype I’m proud to be part of. Delved into my own hometown, Vietnam, I focused on a coffee cup and layered night-lights to imply Vietnamese’ particular obsession to filtered coffee and prominence of the chaotic traffic culture, which could be perceived as either positive or negative in concentrations 5 and 6. Incorporating a map on the next three pieces evoked the unity in Vietnamese people despite their regional differences. From this narrowed focus, I discovered that stereotypes also affect me as an individual. In my next two, I recalled my personal pain and experience of being judged. Using projector layers helped me distinguish my appearance vs my inner qualities. In my final one, I projected my own face on myself to project my own individuality. Although stereotypes can be positive or negative, we should observe beyond the surface and understand that everything around us carries its own uniqueness.
In my first two concentrations, I emphasized the negative association of wealthy to arrogant, dull to boring, to illustrate society’s shallowness. Afterwards, my next two pieces manipulated drawing into photographical effects to portray significance of family manners and high education to an Asian community and to my family. These pieces particularly stand out due to their positive nature, a stereotype I’m proud to be part of. Delved into my own hometown, Vietnam, I focused on a coffee cup and layered night-lights to imply Vietnamese’ particular obsession to filtered coffee and prominence of the chaotic traffic culture, which could be perceived as either positive or negative in concentrations 5 and 6. Incorporating a map on the next three pieces evoked the unity in Vietnamese people despite their regional differences. From this narrowed focus, I discovered that stereotypes also affect me as an individual. In my next two, I recalled my personal pain and experience of being judged. Using projector layers helped me distinguish my appearance vs my inner qualities. In my final one, I projected my own face on myself to project my own individuality. Although stereotypes can be positive or negative, we should observe beyond the surface and understand that everything around us carries its own uniqueness.
2-D design | breadth
Breadth portfolio of 12 projects is conducted to demonstrate one’s understanding of the principal elements of 2-D design. Through focusing on breadth, I have learned to approach my artworks with emphasis on unity/variety, balance, contrast, rhythm, repetition and proportion/scale.
In the process of creating a complete portfolio, I have tried to manipulate topics assigned by the teacher into my own ideas. With the help of image development strategies and elements of design, I have managed to create more depth in the message conveyed through my approach to art. For example, the piece “Movement”, a depiction of natural sandy texture, captures lines and unity towards one direction, whereas the project “Reach High” characterizes the manipulation of perspective and foreshortening to create an illusionary effect.
Furthermore, I would characterize my favorite piece as one, which contains a deep message portrayed through use of design concepts and different art techniques, mainly in photography. These ideas can be expressed in this particular project called “Feminine Mystery”, inspired by chiaroscuro effect. This project conveys a meaning merging a possibility of broken and innocent identity with a need of gender equality. We see a strong woman protecting her identity, which is being intruded by outsiders of a crucial reality in today’s society. In the world, other people’s influences can affect your own life decisions and make you conform to standard status quo, ridding you from uniqueness of an individual. Moreover, this piece contains a design feel as 3 products are organized as one and depicts employment of contrast in light vs. darkness.
In addition, there are some weaknesses I encountered in my process of developing my own sense of art. Due to lack of skill in Photoshop, it was challenging to visually express my ideas on the table. However, as I created more and more artwork for the portfolio, I found myself improving tremendously in how I deliver my art to others.
Exploring art through principles of design and design strategies provided me with opportunities to learn how to set up a photography studio, to enhance my creativity and thinking, to expose an artistic side in me that could help me in different circumstances in my life. My mind of perceiving thoughts and sources of inspiration has been further and further developed with the aid of art.
Overall, I felt a huge relief upon finishing my breadth portfolio as it depicts my efforts and development on my artistic viewpoint. Exposure to different dimensions and limitless possibilities of art’s functions captivated my mind and opened my eyes to a whole new world.
In the process of creating a complete portfolio, I have tried to manipulate topics assigned by the teacher into my own ideas. With the help of image development strategies and elements of design, I have managed to create more depth in the message conveyed through my approach to art. For example, the piece “Movement”, a depiction of natural sandy texture, captures lines and unity towards one direction, whereas the project “Reach High” characterizes the manipulation of perspective and foreshortening to create an illusionary effect.
Furthermore, I would characterize my favorite piece as one, which contains a deep message portrayed through use of design concepts and different art techniques, mainly in photography. These ideas can be expressed in this particular project called “Feminine Mystery”, inspired by chiaroscuro effect. This project conveys a meaning merging a possibility of broken and innocent identity with a need of gender equality. We see a strong woman protecting her identity, which is being intruded by outsiders of a crucial reality in today’s society. In the world, other people’s influences can affect your own life decisions and make you conform to standard status quo, ridding you from uniqueness of an individual. Moreover, this piece contains a design feel as 3 products are organized as one and depicts employment of contrast in light vs. darkness.
In addition, there are some weaknesses I encountered in my process of developing my own sense of art. Due to lack of skill in Photoshop, it was challenging to visually express my ideas on the table. However, as I created more and more artwork for the portfolio, I found myself improving tremendously in how I deliver my art to others.
Exploring art through principles of design and design strategies provided me with opportunities to learn how to set up a photography studio, to enhance my creativity and thinking, to expose an artistic side in me that could help me in different circumstances in my life. My mind of perceiving thoughts and sources of inspiration has been further and further developed with the aid of art.
Overall, I felt a huge relief upon finishing my breadth portfolio as it depicts my efforts and development on my artistic viewpoint. Exposure to different dimensions and limitless possibilities of art’s functions captivated my mind and opened my eyes to a whole new world.