on art ›
Art is an opening.
A chance for something else, like nothing else.
on design ›
Design is a construct.
It is a process of researching+defining a need (rules) and applying relevant+effective+empathetic solutions.
Design starts with information, accessibility, function. Graphics, timing, and experience are forms that guide the user experience. Value is in the complete solution and its lifespan.
Design is a collaborative relationship and a living system: research, position, strategy, language, give and take.
Design, no matter the scale or application, has the potential for greatness.
Design is powerful. It should be implemented responsibly.
Beyond introducing the tools and processes of the disciplines I teach, I have a responsibility to ask questions, present scenarios (theoretical and real world), and model/share the kind of professional/creative practice that will challenge and sensitize a student. Not only do I want the students to take responsibility for the choices/marks they make, I want them to understand the context driving their ideas, realize the forces that compel them to make work, and apply a thoughtful and provocative approach to problem solving. I want my students to be introspective, critical thinkers and empathetic practitioners, no matter what path their lives take.
I teach expanded media: photo (light + choice), design (message + accessibility), motion (time + anticipation) and interactivity (human factors + usability). These disciplines, each with their own knowledge-base, present a multiplicity of conditions and considerations. I relish this complexity and find joy in the interdisciplinary nodes of visual communication; the diversity of media involved; the research and generative process; the potential for conceptual adaptation and (re)invention.
My teaching environments are diverse: mac lab, darkroom, classroom, studio, asynchronous online exchange, photo shoot, walk outside, field excursion, hallway conversation, instant message. I love pushing boundaries, experimenting with approaches, and discovering relevant ways to learn. I like to include community based learning strategies involving artists, studio and museum trips, and intersections with other disciplines. I keep my courses very structured up front (key concepts scheduled through lecture, seminar, demo, and practice), but allow enough flexibility for in class work time, casual discussion, one-on-one meetings, breathers, refreshers, and interesting deviations. Projects and assignments involve specific criteria, and generally expand in scope and concept as the semester progresses and students arrive at increasing levels of competency. Critiques are an opportunity to evaluate works as a group, practice written and verbal communication, ask questions out loud, invent, and enjoy a dialogue.
Most of my courses have been foundation or intermediate level (undergraduate) and introduce brand new processes. My students understand I have lofty and
sincere expectations. I believe making work with integrity is a responsibility. I don’t expect masterpieces, but I do expect a thorough exploration of skills and ideas that will eventually lead to a more mature approach to portfolio or senior level work. The students are held accountable for the craft (object), the concept (idea), and ultimately a connection (communication + contextual life) beyond the work itself.
Teaching and developing curriculum is exciting and I am very grateful for the opportunity to participate and contribute.
context ›
I come from a traditional studio art background with undergradute studies in photography and painting and graduate studies in traditional film based/darkroom practice (with my MFA thesis work in drawing and sculptural installation). I understand and respect the nature of traditional practice, but have over the course of ten years become a digital media artist, using technology to realize my ideas.
My art practice coupled with my professional experience in design and internet technologies has me very conscious of contemporary dynamics in imaging, digital media, and consumer/internet/information culture. I recognize that there is an incredible abundance of commodified visual information, that spectacular information is increasingly automated (scripted, rendered, and perpetuated), and tools that simulate inventive decision making are readily accessible and already implemented. This presents a new opportunity for the artist/designer as catalyst - for real ideation, collective action, and cultural intervention.
I am interested in a new creative pathway, and it can start with anyone who cares and has the will to make something (happen). I bring this enthusiasm to the classroom and challenege my students to make an impact.