Professor Presentations
Last Friday, Professors Bill Kennedy, Tuan Phan, Jimmy Luu, and Kimberly Garza presented their work and their history in their field. Professor Kennedy presented his photography work that experiments with photo manipulation inspired by Tantric paintings. I found Kennedy’s style of photography unique. His ability to manipulate common, even dilapidated objects into otherworldly compositions of bright color and dynamic shape is impressive. His meditative creative process for the photos was also very interesting and shows the amount of dedication he has to this art form. Professor Phan displayed his work in graphic design such as flyers and illustrations. A feature of Tuan’s work that stood out to me what the repetition of form. In many of his works, arrows are used as a repetitive design motif. I believe that this is important because it is almost like a signature and makes his work instantly identifiable. Professor Luu shared his work with various forms of printing and publishing. I found his presentation intriguing, as I am interested in printing myself. I learned more about the different types of printing methods offered by the school and more about publishing. Professor Garza gave a rather inspiring presentation about the different components in her graphic design, such as passion and wonder. Her emphasis on the values of an artist spoke to me, as this is something that I ponder often. Her presentation made me revisit that thought and think of my own values as an artist. I enjoyed observing how my professors create and what drives them. I think it is a valuable endeavor to study the work of professors, as you can learn about new methods and perhaps experiment with them.
Five Year Plan
Even though I am only a first-semester freshman, I have given much thought to what I want my future to look like. However, I do not plan every step, as life is unpredictable and planning is overall an arbitrary process. Here is what I plan to accomplish in the next five years:
-Graduate with my BA in Arts
-Study Abroad in France
-Complete an internship or apprenticeship with an artist in Austin.
-Introduce my art to minor galleries
-Rent a studio space
-Begin my Masters or participate in an artist-in-residence program
In order to accomplish these goals, I must constantly exercise my artistic skill, accept failure, and learn how to adapt. I plan to utilize my resources at the university to grow my skill set over the next four years and become a more dynamic artist. I will work as hard as possible to achieve these goals.