“How can I use unconventional forms to express myself?”
During this unit, we were challenged to express our ideas through abstract forms of art, such as poetry and experimental film. We were also introduced to using professional equipment and applications, thus improving our technical communication skills.
I valued the opportunity given to think outside the box and gaining insight into creative risk-taking. Because there are many approaches to conceptual art, it allowed me to explore territories I was unfamiliar with. This unit helped to improve my ideas by introducing different perspectives. I enjoyed collaborating with my peers to brainstorm all of the possible paths I could take in my projects.
Poetry
In English class, we wrote poetry during this conceptual unit. We started out with writing haikus and eventually developed the skill set to write free verse and ekphrastic poems.
Producing my poetry gave me the experience of working with various applications like Photoshop, Pro Tools, and Premiere Pro. I also value how adding media to poetry pushed me to cultivate more meaning and creativity.
Photo Haiku
In both English and Digital Media class, we worked to combine media with poetry. We started with written drafts then were instructed to take photos to deepen the meaning of the haiku. We then used Photoshop to combine the image with the text. After completing that, we created a video, using Premiere Pro to add music and other audio.
Though the Photo Haiku was not particularly my favorite, I value the introduction it gave me to working with these applications. The basic knowledge I gained during this project will build my skillset, making me a better artist for the future.
Elements & Principles of Art
In Digital Media, we spent some time working on a slideshow that explored the 7 elements and 6 principles of art and design. We were instructed to find images of art online to demonstrate each element and principle. For each element and principle, we needed to find one photograph, one modern art piece, and one traditional piece.
Experimental Film
In Film class, we explored abstract ideas through experimental film. During this project we focused on capturing emotions through visuals. For instance, the concept statement I worked with throughout the conceptual unit was: “I am exploring the feeling of nostalgia through the experience of falling asleep”, and rather than showing a nostalgic person, I was challenged to find other visuals that encompassed the feeling itself. During classes, we watched a variety of experimental films to gain exposure and draw inspiration from. We began this project with pitching our ideas to the class. During this day, we could collaborate and build off of each other’s ideas. We then spent a few weeks filming our dailies and getting feedback from the class. After filming most of the footage, we edited our films in Premiere Pro and showed them to the class one week after.
I enjoyed this project immensely due to the abstract approaches that were actively pushed. This heavily emphasized staying away from cliché concepts and exploring new, obscure ideas instead. I learned how to contribute to the class by building up ideas. This alone developed my ability to think creatively and process art with a new lens on. I also became familiar with the structure of the class and the applications that we work on.