As freshman at Parsons, students take a Studio 1 and Seminar 1 class. These two classes correspond with and build off one another. For the Seminar 1 final, we were assigned to do a research paper. I chose to do my research paper on The Power of Thought.
I started my research by looking at Epicurus’s ancient school of philosophy, which I was originally going to write about. As I started to read more into it, I began to understand that the people practicing this philosophy had an enormous influence over their thoughts to be able to have such radical views during the Greek Classical Period. This concept of being able to influence and direct your thoughts is something that I wanted to research about and share with my peers.
For the Studio 1 final, we were assigned to create an art piece that corresponded with our research paper. Having an artwork aim to encapsulate as broad of a subject as thought is a daunting task. I had a general direction of where I wanted to go, but when I got the materials in my hands, I knew that the concept of thought was going to be present through the realization of the actual piece, rather than the final product.
I started by breaking apart pieces of 300 lb pressed watercolor paper. As I was breaking them down, the shapes drifted further and further from what I had initially imagined for this piece. So, I continued to break down the paper and allowed my thoughts to silence, bringing me to a meditative space. As I finished breaking them apart, I began arranging the pieces on the board. My hands seemed to be directed by an unspoken force, and before my eyes, this piece came to life.
The texture of this artwork was something that truly interested me, something I wanted to focus on. I am a kinetic, tactile learner so this piece not only catered to my learning modality but spoke to me. As I grazed my fingers on the coating that acts as a shell, I felt myself drift back to this meditative space. I believe the work ties back to the power of thought in an ironic way. More than focusing on how to direct thought through the process of this piece, I focused on how I could silence my thoughts during its creation.
This is the first conceptual art piece that I have created. Though the artwork is nearly all white, there are multiple layers that the viewer can study. The negative space in between the geometric shapes gives the eye a natural river of space to follow through the piece. The shapes themselves are all unique and have been arranged in a way that not only compliments each other but continues the flow of energy from start to finish. The tactile dimension allows the viewer to trace their hands along the surface and explores the layers through touch. The artwork can be rotated at any degree and interpreted just the same. The intention is to create a space that guides the viewer, yet ultimately give them the ability to project their own model of the world onto it.
