The shrink in me does not judge everything solely on face value. In fact, the thinker in me loves to dig deeper because surfaces can be boring. The "theorist" in me concocts peculiar ideas. The free spirit in me cares not for mental barriers. The artist in me exploits these roles to her advantage.
The artist in me is the bravest person amongst all these roles. It is she who expresses the depth, ideas and freedom that they wish to convey. It is she who expresses the depth, ideas and freedom that I, Ishika, wish to convey.
When starting a project, I believe that the concept is the most important aspect. I usually sit in a corner for a huge stretch of time and remain silent with a notepad until an original, rather profoundly wacky, idea strikes me. Even so, I deal with topics, which I feel people face at some point in their lives. In such work, I try to capture extreme emotion- from a heightened sense of bliss to edgy conflict. I heavily rely on color schemes to depict the mood of my paintings. I constantly experiment with tones to break the monotony that comes with repeating a palette. Sometimes an idea just comes to me when I'm scribbling. I find the most stimulating medium for me is ink. While I love using oils, the charm of black and white appeals to me greatly. The Spartan medium challenges me to convey more with less. While I am most comfortable drawing human figures, I make a conscious effort to draw other motifs. I do not believe in playing it safe.
The thing that separates artists from the rest is skill. The shrink or the thinker in me cannot draw an apple. However, the artist can. At SAIC, I hope to develop a steadier hand by sharpening my artistic and observational skills.
By sharpening my observational, artistic, and thinking skills in studio-art classes, I will be able to write more freely and objectively. Since art does not dismiss even the most bizarre thought, I hope to incorporate 'bizarre' ideas in my papers. Productive eccentricity will bring out the more daring writer in me.
Furthermore, SAIC's academic curriculum offers art history and critical appreciation. With learning about several art movements and artists in class, I will imbibe several qualities from such lessons and apply them in my approaches to both art and writing. The beautiful blend of subjects will help me grow as a person.
More importantly, a studio art environment is free and stimulating. A student can learn a lot from a still life study. Instead of assuming a normal angle, he may learn from his professor and classmates, that "a single object can be tackled from various perspectives". The class explores into unchartered ground. For example, a nude body is not 'scandalous'. Students observe every muscle flexed to the most miniscule detail. They try to get the nose or the facial expression right. The thinker and the free spirit shall truly rejoice at the prospect of such an education.
With tremendous room for original thinking, a studio arts environment is incredibly demanding. Any idea can be deemed clichéd. The theorist relishes the challenge of thinking out of the box!
The artist will emulsify everything around her. She will make the most of everyday.
While different parts of her desire different things at SAIC, this humble student hopes for evolution.
I approach SAIC to nurture these roles. At the same time, I hope to discover new ones.
IT HAS TO BE PERFECT. I NEED TO SUBMIT THIS SOON. ALL SUGGESTIONS ARE GLADLY WELCOME. THANKS!
