A practicing artist - SAIC Admissions Essay

I am a self-taught photographer with a dream. I wish to share my insight to later develop visually communicative pieces. Mediums I commonly resort to because of the sole impression desired are pigments, LEDs, charcoal, power tools, graphite, and fabrics. I have been working with a technique traditional animators use in layout and pencil tests, but am applying it to digital media. I take a picture while my subject is in motion, print it after editing to obtain a 'gritty' effect, and then apply chiaroscuro through the usage of ink before filtering. My artistic process intellectually follows a pattern of chaos & control. I typically put an abstract stamp onto my artwork.

I am a practicing artist with works recently exhibited in New Jersey and Illinois. My concept art was displayed in the YAM (Youth Art Month) show of Morris County, and was also presented in The Dog Daze Of Summer event, hosted by Morris Arts. However, my most recent piece was exhibited through Arterie Fine Arts Gallery in Naperville, IL. Iconic Images Gallery in Boonton, New Jersey is the location of my next major project.

My long-term plan is to receive a bachelor's degree correlating to art crime and antique trafficking studies. I expect to integrate the topics of art history, photography, psychology, forensic sciences, archaeological research, and bio-arts studies to excel in an interdisciplinary major. I believe studying the multiple techniques which are widely associated with this craft will greatly contribute to my ability to succeed artistically, intellectually, and academically.

Max Friedlander, a German curator, saw the value of art from an anthropomorphic perspective. "A copy bears resemblance to an organism. In the world, however, a fake lives on independence for its duration of existence, which even the counterfeiter is left unable to control. A forgery is an animated piece of materialism, attempting to constitute in the shadows of actuality." I believe this is also true with people. People are animated, attempting to constitute in the shadows of actuality.

Van Gogh, Gauguin, and Utrillo were European Post-Impressionists who all had one thing in common with me. This was that beyond the era of limitations, we all accept that there are no visual constraints. What is art? What makes it good or bad and who decides?

Storytelling involves both the artist's and onlooker's controversial opinions voiced. This is significant to me, because I believe art is all about developing concept and engagement. Art is not supposed to be a safe place. It should be designed to allow one's mind to float outside of his or her comfort zone.

SAIC's studio arts environment can impact me greatly because I dare to create through the process of intellect rather than materialism. Through the representation of my craft, my beliefs in art primarily focus on the message: Every artist is not who they are because they define self by representation, but are self-designed by what they visually & cognitively present; which is then interpreted by the respective individual.

Kyra, your paper is currently too theoretical in content, with the barest reference to you as a person in relation to your art. I take it that you are writing the Artist Statement for your application which is why you have written this way. Your writing needs to reflect a bit more of your art in relation to your personality so that you can offer a better idea as to who you are as an artist and how other people perceive your art.

Discussing your participation in various exhibits and art shows provides the needed information regarding the extent of your artistic growth. If you can add some reference to the comments of the patrons to your images, you will be able to enhance your statement because those comments will prove that your concepts resonate and are easily understood by the masses. Thus making your pictures more than just a piece of art, it becomes an artistic statement :-)

Overall, the paper has an excellent start. We just need to revise some of the content in order to better deliver the demands of the reviewers. By the way, the reference to Max Friedlander isn't really necessary. The more informative reference was the one you made to Van Gogh because of the similarities between your artistic styles. Please consider developing that reference more by removing the reference to Max Friedlander,.