OBJECTIVE: IAS students pursue research across diverse areas of knowledge and kinds of inquiry. They learn to think critically and creatively as they develop research questions, pursue them with appropriate sources and methods, and present results in a form suited to their intended audience. In this process, they learn to position their own work in relation to other research, and in relation to relevant deb​           

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            As an IAS student, exploring different fields of knowledge has allowed me to gain so many perspectives. I find that my major being Interdisciplinary Art has taught me to be critical, thoughtful, and lastly creative. It’s a good balance for me to engage in valuable discourse but also providing artistic freedom to produce artifacts from it. I learned that not everything has to be explained in an essay, but you could show your audience your knowledge and skills; to educate but also inspire.

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            My artifact, “Red Intervention Series”, was one of the first projects I did at UW Bothell for BIS 319 Interdisciplinary Arts. It really set the tone for myself and my interest to delve into different mediums. The prompt for this assignment was to create a series that interrupted the motions of the “real world” through photography. We were discussing discourse around the camera but also making up our own method to take photos. In simpler terms, it was a conceptual photoshoot of my choice. It was a way for me to think outside of the box and to do something different than others. At the time, I had no idea how to use a DSLR so I opted for my iPhone 7 quality. What was challenging about this project was I had to do public art. I went to very public spaces in Seattle and shot my model being draped in red cloth. My intention for this photoshoot was to present an imaginary yet eerie figure to disrupt reality. I was particularly interested in creating a composition that would provoke discomfort or admiration. It was a successful series that went well with my audience and professor. It showed my ability to use photography and my own concept to create something new for myself.

 

            My second artifact is, “Mind Game”, which is an art installation I created under BIS 440 Space, Site, and Video. This course taught me how to combine as many disciplines I can into one project. It was an intersection of video art, creative writing, mental health studies, music, and public art.  It was an opportunity to go all out and create something from nothing. I went with the concept of presenting a space that would resemble how I think. I was exploring the duality of pessimism and optimism that go on daily in my head to provoke anxiety and stress. To translate my concept in an art exhibit is quite difficult. I had to organize the layout, materials, video shooting, editing, equipment, sound system, and many more. I learned a valuable lesson in organization, accountability, time management, and feasibility. But that did not stop me from executing my idea. The art installation had three separate spaces divided by a stand-in-wall. In each space there was a video projection with a mirror in the middle. The purpose was to have visitors look at their own reflection while the video is playing. I wanted to place the viewer in my own visuals to overpower them and make them feel belittled. My visuals consisted different scenes of daily life that would get interrupted by phrases I curated through creative writing to incite both negative and positive thoughts. The music was a loop of two notes that would repeat to either irritate or calm people down. Overall, this project taught me a lot about myself and my capability to take everything I’ve learned so far to have an impactful piece in my portfolio.