Hi! I’m Weitong Li, also you can call me Catherine and I’m 19 years old from Beijing, China. My current major is Strategic Design And Management. The first year in Parsons is kind of perfect for me. It’s not as hard as I imagined. The foundation classes are fun and you can see which area that you really interested. I study abroad when I was 14. The high school life in Canada was simple. I was addicted to art for a long time, Parsons is my dream school since I was little. New York is a city have lots of opportunities, people came here with their dream. I know that when I came to New York that day my life began to change.
My first-year experience is our base for future classes. I take many interesting classes. Also gives me opportunities to try many new things. I knew there are lots of differences between making thing and management. But I enjoy this learning experience, maybe will change mine mind to another major that I interested.
TIME:
Time class is the most challenge for me because using the software is my weakness. There will be lots of work on the computer. But Successfully I made two movie and many videos during the time class. Learning things is a difficult process, but the results will make me feel very fulfilled. I learned how to use premiere and shooting things. This project is my final, base on the explosive news about sexual abuse in China. From storytelling to photography for the final shooting was a long process.
Drawing/Image :
Drawing is kind of my area, but what I didn’t think of was that we still need to use the software. One big thing I learn from Parsons everything is a process from inspiration and to built your idea for the final project. This artwork is from my still life drawing and nude drawing. Use AI cut of the shape of it. The final is to use the space between the picture make a new artwork. This project tased my drawing skill, PS skill, and my imagination.
Studio 1:
This project is to make wearable pieces based on the fairytales. We chose to rewrite. We are going to make the wearable piece that one of the characters will wear. We through the different stage to process our project. My story is the reversion of the beauty and beast. Combine in modern society the fairytale is not that happy and perfect ending. My story is a black tale. The sad ending leaves us to think of how the reality is. This final project for the studio is the most important for this class. So different making process was necessary.
Mood Board
Prototype
Photograph:
My idea is how to measure a person’s value. In this era of materialization, what is the real value of people? Can an expensive piece of clothing represent his high value? Everyone’s definition is different, just as we do not know how to define a person’s essence. I want to use the receipt as the symbol to explore the value of a person’s existence. My investigation is not comprehensive. I have looked for a famous dictator in the world and discussed it in two ways. Because there is no complete black and white in the world. I will use the ironic pictures and my own perspective and knowledge to valuer those famous dictators. This project requires lots of research and my own understanding of the history. This project is really ironic and critical, makes me can speak up my own ideas.
Final project:
For the final project of the place matter, I choose the central park. The location of Central Park is 5th Avenue, Central West Park and 110 streets within New York City. The interest of the visitors is not only limited to the aesthetic beauty and the well-manicured lawns that it provides but also the collection of writings that one is capable of finding within the park. Based on the historical the context the design and construction process is very difficult, making it more valuable. The size of the park is 843 acres, and an ideal tourist attracts that attract approximately 37 million visitors.
The reason I choose central park because its significant for the New York City. Many socially conscious reformers understood that the creation of a great public park would improve public health and contribute greatly to the formation of a civil society. Immediately, the success of Central Park fostered the urban park movement, one of the great hallmarks of democracy of nineteenth-century America. For my own experience, when I walked into Central Park, it seemed to be isolated. So I want to take this feeling into the video.
In the beginning, the city view and the park view appeared at the same time. Which means when you gradually into the park, you will forget the reality. The music pulls us into the natural world. The blowing bubble takes us through the park. The sound and the view give us two version of feeling in the park.
final studio vedio from Catherine Lee on Vimeo.
Conclusion :
Overall in the first year, the biggest change for me is the way of thinking and making things. All the project need a long time to discuss and processing. My own understanding and what the story behind it is the most important. For the future, I am thinking about trying other new things in Parsons. I will keep mine enthusiasm for art and be confident about the changes. I would like to take photography as second major if I can.
