Undergraduate / 'rid ourselves of rationalizations' - parsons challenge [2]

Help me make it sharper and cleaner?

We as human beings, and as living creatures can never get away from what I've chosen to explore. It doesn't merely form part of our lives and daily environments: it is a crucial element of life that we could not do without. Although we are surrounded by it at all times my discovery is often overlooked or underestimated.

As I walked along the sidewalk on a pleasant spring morning and looked through my camera's viewfinder...I discovered light. I found myself marveling at the way certain angles combined with sun rays created other-worldly images. This is a photograph of light trapped in tiny specks of water. Even though light is a constant in our life, it has a magic element to it, I think that as human beings we should sometimes rid ourselves of rationalizations, allowing ourselves to wonder at the elemental parts of life.

thanks!

Undergraduate / Artist statement, photography major [5]

Prompt: written Artist's Statement. Your Artist's Statement should describe your creative process, interests, concepts, and vision. It should give the reader insight into and context for your work.

Up until now my work has been a reflection of the things that fascinate me. Taking a step back, I realize that the general atmosphere that I am drawn to is one of melancholy and nostalgia; a longing for all thing past and somber.

A somewhat of a cliché is death, but I can't help but to be fascinated by death itself and all it's derivatives: skeletons, anatomy drawings, time, mortality and infinity.

I try to experiment with different mediums ranging from acrylics and watercolors to tea stains. As for photography I work with both digital and analogue formats. I'm in love with analogue photography. I feel that analogue photographs capture beyond what is visible, bringing certain nostalgic feel to them, almost like physical memories.

I admire the way street art becomes part of cities and culture, influencing people. I realize that I tend to be self indulgent, but as part of society I would like to achieve work that is relevant and influential to the world of which am I part of, and this is something I'm currently working towards.

comments, suggestions?
Thanks!

Undergraduate / 'Consciousness of freedom' - BARD essay- JOY [3]

This is the draft for my bard essay:

B) The Roman philosopher Seneca, writing in the first century, wrote a set of letters of advice to a young friend. In the 23rd letter he wrote, "Make this your business: learn how to feel joy...true joy, believe me, is a serious thing." Write a short response to these thoughts, indicating if you wish, the extent to which you may have come to realize that Seneca was right.

I like the look people get in their eyes when I say something confusing. I like how soft my skin feels once I get out of the shower. I like the way the cold morning air makes everything seem so crisp and the way plants ruffle to the wind. These details bring me joy and I know that it is because I am human. As a human being I am able to find beauty in what I experience, I am conscious.

Consciousness defines humans and is what sets them apart from all other living creatures. It is our great advantage as well as one of our weaknesses. Because we are conscious, we may choose. The possibility of choosing is what we know as freedom, but also as responsibility.

"It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare;
It is because we do not dare that things are difficult."

One too many times we recoil from this freedom, frightened by the responsibility with which it comes. We'd rather declare that we hadn't the freedom to choose and therefore, that unhappiness is not our fault.

Although it seems to be swift and effortless, joy carries with it great resonance. Being able to bring it into our life means we have succeeded in taking on our responsibilities as persons. It means we have been brave enough to search inside ourselves, giving meaning and reason to our lives. Joy comes not only from the small details that we notice while wandering because this child-like amusement is only possible if we are at peace with the big scale choices we've made.

Undergraduate / 'more analytical approach towards my life' - how you became interested in art [13]

Describe when and how you became interested in art, design, writing, architecture, or the particular major to which you are applying. Describe how this interest has manifested itself in your daily life. The essay should be 250-500 words.

Hazy, fragmented scenes in which my mother, my twin sister and I hurried through New York City. Big iron steps that led to spacious rooms in which pictures were hung upon the walls, flamboyant long-limbed figures, adults having what sounded like complex conversations...These are some of my earliest memories, as well as my earliest encounters, with the art world.

My mother is a visual artist, and my father a filmmaker. So as I grew up, these two disciplines formed an integral part of my daily life. I was born in NY to parents of different nationalities, my father is from Serbia and my mother is Chilean. Living between Belgrade, Chile and New York has has given me the opportunity to explore different cultures, this has shaped the way I understand communication, culture and the way the world operates.

As kids, my sister and I were always involved in some kind of crafts project, and we grew up with a constant sense of creative freedom and encouragement. Because I've always been surrounded by it, I am unable to pinpoint an exact moment in which I became interested in art. In retrospect, I can now say that rather than a particular moment in my life, it was a process.

As I grew out of childhood, I began to take a more analytical approach towards my life and the things that surrounded me. I realized that at some point I would have to choose a course of action and decide what role I wanted to play in society. I knew that whatever I chose to do I wanted it to have an impact on people. As a person, I am aware of the fact that I am part of something bigger than myself and I would like to take advantage of this through my work.

comments?