An Artsy Girl in a Digital World

This was a "statement of interest" I wrote to submit myself as a candidate into the applicant pool for the digital arts program at my school--well, this along with a very carefully put-together portfolio of some of my artwork (which was a much larger undertaking than I'd anticipated). Still don't know if I made it "in" or not.

I had an affinity toward and a passion for art at a very young age, before I had an interest in anything else. For me, the world has always been viewed from an "artist’s perspective," and it seems fitting that I should pursue a degree and ultimately a career that follows the path of my original passion. My path could certainly be that of the painter or another role in the traditional fine arts--however, the future of the art world, and the world with which it interacts, seems to be one that is increasingly more inspired by the digital realm, and the combination of the artistic and digital realms is an exciting and relatively new frontier for artists. I plan to forge my own path in bringing together my artistic visions and technological tools.

Digital arts give an endless supply of possibilities for creating a wide range of types of art. The kind of art that I am most drawn to create, that of depicting intimate portraits of human emotions in action—particularly in the sensual realm—does not seem to have been greatly explored by many in the digital arts field as of yet. I can see great potential in creating organic and emotional pieces viewed through the filter of precision that digital arts are often characterized by. To me, the merging of humanity (and the objects which we relate to humanity, e.g. living spaces, sacred symbols and monuments, items of popular culture, etc.) with technology is an appropriate marriage to depict the nature of our modern human culture. Whether it is on a population scale or an individual scale, technology has fused itself into our world views, surely affecting the way we perceive ourselves and, consequently, how we sense and feel.

Conceptually, I have often been inspired by artists who created the Mannerism style of the 16th century. Though chronologically far removed from the year 2006, artists such as Titian, Pontormo, El Greco, Ingres, and others had approaches to art that would depict an altered reality for the sake of conveying emotions or moods, just as much of the modern art I admire tends to do. The correctness of form is sacrificed to achieve a certain “feel”—and for me, art is all about feeling. In my book, “The Grand Odalisque” by Ingres will forever be one of the greatest works of art. Pablo Picasso’s work during the Blue Period is some my favorite 20th Century artwork, and has been very inspiring for me as a fan and (attempted) creator of mood-driven art.

Aside from providing another set of tools and mediums to create art mirroring the human condition, digital design skills will prove to be very practical for me with my current career as a professional musician, since digital art also bleeds into the multimedia world, which often greatly ties into the musical world of today. As a singer/songwriter, performer, and recording artist, gaining experience and skill as a digital artist would greatly enhance my abilities to further carry out my artistic visions as a musician. Designing and creating album art, websites, promotional material, merchandise, etc. are both tasks directly related to digital art. As an "artist" in the musical sense, I enjoy maintaining creative control over all aspects of my art.
I cannot think of a major that I would rather pursue than that of Digital Arts—the more I learn the tools of this breed of creativity, the more I look forward to learning even more. That, to me, is a sign of a path well-chosen.