Daisy Kim
Cross Course Reflection
My name is Daisy Kim and my major is Integrated Design. I was originally admitted as a Fashion Design Major but I decided to switch to Integrated after my first semester here at Parsons. I realized after coming here that I did not want to be a fashion designer and I wanted versatility in my work. I was always interested in installation and 3D work and I soon created an interest in film photography. I still want to be involved in the fashion industry so I decided to make my pathway Fashion Communications. I also want to minor in photography.
I think a lot of my work has similar concepts and similar aesthetics. I usually like simple color schemes and projects but usually having a more conceptual idea. My first semester, I took Drawing and Imaging and Space and Materiality so I did more hands on projects. Second semester, because I took Time and a photography class, I did more digital work. I also geared more towards adobe for my other class because of the skills I learned in Time. I definitely utilized photoshop skills that I learned from Drawing and Imaging and Time to my other projects. Between my academic studies, Seminar and Studio definitely correlated the most since they were supposed to but I was also able to relate some topics from my other classes. I used my photoshop skills to create a logo for my project for Sustainable Systems.
Being able to create a year long project about a specific topic of our choice definitely made writing a research paper more tolerable. I knew I wouldn’t get tired of a topic of my own choice and it was nice not having restrictions. With the Studio aspect, creating a book in any form, shape, and style we wanted was also nice. Working with new techniques also made projects more interesting. For example, some new skills I learned were developing my own film, working in the darkroom, making/binding my own book, learning Premiere, learning InDesign, and learning to make animations in Photoshop. I think further research myself in a lot of these skills could have helped. I learned the basics from my professors and I could have done my own research to learn more. I definitely did a lot of research for my research paper and I learned that having more information and not using all of them in the end is better than not having enough.
HIGHLIGHTS:
One of my first projects for Space and Materiality. We were tasked to create a sculpture consisting of a body hybrid of any kind using plaster.
I wanted to create a funky/odd sculpture. I created these moodboards to give me inspiration and I even included one of my own past art pieces in my moodboard and I ended up continuing my idea of eyeballs.
Moodboard:
First initial idea:
Final Product:
Artist Statement:
I have always been intrigued by the eyes because a lot of people say they are the gateway to your soul. Everything that happens in our lives we live through with our eyes. Hands are also very interesting to me because they are so important in our daily routine. You control a lot of things with your hands. I decided to incorporate both of these body parts into my sculpture because I wanted to show how important both body parts are. I kept the hands white on top of a black platform to create a dramatic contrast. In the whole piece, the eyes are the only colorful part because we see with our eyes, and that’s how we bring color into our lives. We have complete control of our lives through our eyes and they are in the palm of our hands. Although I made this early in the school year, it is still one of my favorite projects I have made.
My second highlight:
Exploring film photography (black and white):
I took a class second semester called Analog Photography and we got to experiment with shooting black and white film, developing it ourselves, and printing in the darkroom. I want to make one of my highlights of this year my series of 10 photos for my final because I feel like I have improved my photography as well as my darkroom printing since the beginning of the year. I am really proud of my photos and a lot of this class has influenced me to consider a photography minor.
Below is a collage of my prints for my Analog Photography final.
For my final, I decided to focus on street photography. I photographed scenes that interested me or candid moments with strangers. My favorite photo is the one of the street cart vendor. I asked him if I could take a photo of him and he put a thumbs up which made me love the photo even more.
I was admitted into Parsons as a Fashion Design major but after my first semester, I decided I wanted to do more than fashion. Since first year is a foundation year, I was exposed to so many new programs and art techniques, and I want to have the opportunity to create all types of art. I do love fashion, but I realized that my end goal was not to be a fashion designer. I want to do more than that. Having no previous experience in Photoshop, Illustrator, or Premiere Pro, it was eye-opening being able to learn these skills I didn’t know I was capable of doing. I found myself creating versatile art and I want to continue that throughout my next 3 years. My Space and Materiality class first semester was hands down my favorite class, and I loved making every single project. It was halfway throughout that class last semester when I considered switching to Communication Design or even Fine Arts. This semester, I was in an Analog Photography class and I’ve quickly fallen in love with film photography. I definitely want to minor in photography or even have photography as a big part of my pathway. I want to be in a flexible major where I can incorporate all types of art, and Integrated Design would allow me to do so. I would most likely create a pathway where I can incorporate fashion, photography, and communication design. I truly believe I would succeed the most in Integrated Design because I am the type of person who explores in different areas and is open to new ones as well.
