Alexandra Visconti A Curricula Vitae/Professional Diary
May 2013 | GRID 712
Contents 5
Background
11
High School
17
College
25
Post-College
30
Graduate Studies
Background
My father is a designer and has had his office our house and in our town since I was born. I’ve lived in the same house who’s walls are lined with artwork created by myself and my siblings. Painting was my artistic outlet from 1st grade on. We never hired a plumber, electrician or painter. My father did everything and if there was something he didn’t know how to fix, he figured it out. “If
you’re going to do something, do it right”, his motto. Admittedly his version of “right” wasn’t always permanent. My artistic ventures centered around the things I could observe, still lifes or the natural world outside the window. With encouragement from various teachers I was successful in my painting and won numerous awards in elementary through high school. 5
Background | Inspiration
claude monet
The works of Monet were a big inspiration to me as a child. The expressive strokes and plays with light were of particular interest to my eye. I worked to emulate his style and even copied directly some of his works. One of my art teachers was especially concerned with getting the class to notice his paintings as a way of seeing. She got us to see the world as an impression, rather than a direct representation.
Background | Inspiration
Impression Sunrise | Claude Monet, 1872
7
Background | my works | painting Title: Snowy Church Date: June, 1997
tools
skills
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Brushes Acrylic paint
Painting Hand-eye coordination Reproduction
Background | my works | painting Title: Spray Date: May, 2000
tools
skills
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Brushes Acrylic paint
Painting Hand-eye coordination Reproduction Ways of seeing
9
High School
In high school, a new art teacher and new friends introduced me to other forms of art. I began to draw more and experiment with mixed media, while still painting. The new form of expression I was introduced to that appealed most to me, was photography. My high school had just rebuilt the arts wing, my senior year and equipped it with a dark room. Although our
teacher didn’t know anything about the process of photography, a new friend did. She taught me the basics of taking a photograph and what it means to see the world through a 35mm film rectangle. She also taught me the process of working in a dark room, to love the smell of the chemicals and the feeling of satisfaction from watching an image appear seemingly out of nothing. 11
High School | inspiration
pierre-auguste renoir
Renior was inspirational because I admired the precision with which he captured human emotion through facial representations, but managed to keep the fluidity that Monet had in his impressionistic works.
The Dance at Bougival | Renoir, 1883
man ray “I paint what cannot be photographed, that which comes from the imagination or from dreams, or from an unconscious drive. I photograph the things that I do not wish to paint, the things which already have an existence.� -Man Ray
Photogram | Man Ray, 1922
High School | inspiration
The Gates | Christo and Jeanne Claude, 2005
christo and jeanne-claude
My senior year of high school, my friends and I took a trip to Manhattan to see The Gates. This work was an introduction to environmental art. Although it didn’t communicate much more than aesthetics to me at the time, its impact echoed throughout the rest of my schooling. 13
High School | my works | painting Title: Untitled Date: March, 2004
tools
skills
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Brushes Acrylic paint
Painting Hand-eye coordination Perspective
High School | my works | photography Title: Date:
tools
skills
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Camera 35mm B&W film
Ways of seeing Process Patience Using light as paint
15
College
I began college interested in advertising or marketing, although my passion was still photography and art. It seemed like a practical way to make money using creativity. I quickly learned that I would be compromising too much of what I loved in a career in advertising, so I focused on Visual Communications: Photography and Film. I explored all aspects of photography and its potential applications in journalism and fine arts. I minored in fine art. As part of that minor I was required to take a sculpture class. In that class I found a mentor in my professor. He had a perspective that I hadn’t been exposed to before.
His view on sculpture was more anthropological and spatially oriented than I expected a sculptor’s view to be. The projects he assigned had a story behind them and often we created artifacts and had to present them in the context of a certain story. We also worked with space and setting up installations in different parts of the school, using sound and space as ways of communicating a specific message. His class and view changed and effected my work from then on. He encouraged me to pursue product design upon graduation.
17
College | inspiration
marcel duchamp
Duchamp’s work was an introduction to Dada-ism and the movement that surrounded it. It connected history and art for me in a way that hadn’t been previously connected.
Fountaine | Duchamp 1917
andy goldsworthy
On a trip to Storm King, an outdoor sculpture museum in upstate New York, I discovered Goldsworthy’s work. It was interesting to me in that it was not permanent. It interacted with the environment in which it was placed. I became interested in the idea of graceful degradation, a cognitive concept that could be used as a constraint when creating artwork. Cairne | Goldsworthy, 1997
College | inspiration
Parade - Hoboken, NJ | Robert Frank, 1958
robert frank
The American’s was Frank’s work that was exhibited at the National Gallery of Art. During college I would visit that exhibit once every 2 weeks during its run. Each time I discovered something new, but the part of the exhibit most enthralling to me, was his process and anthropological musings about American culture. 19
College | my works | photography Title: Untitled Photo Book Date: April, 2008
tools
skills
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Camera 35mm B&W film Light Canvas Glue
Ways of seeing Vandyke Process Storytelling Visual Metaphor
College | my works | photography Title: Nature’s Plug (series) Date: May 2009
tools
skills
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Medium format camera 120mm B&W film Light
Ways of seeing Process Storytelling
21
College | my works | sculpture Title: A Wood Machine Date: December 2008
tools
skills
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Wood shop tools Wood Stain
3D drawing Modeling Hand tools
College | my works | sculpture Title: Mattboard Pencil Sharpener Date: October 2008
tools
skills
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Mattboard Exacto knife Hot glue
Scale modeling Patience
23
Post-College
After graduating college I moved back to New Jersey to work while pursuing product design classes at NYU’s School of Continuing Education and Pratt’s summer graduate institute. While taking an introduction to product design course I was able to gain a basic understanding of what product design is and what goes into creating a product. It helped solidify that product design
was a new passion and the perfect outlet for my creativity that I was previously searching for in advertising. Next I took a drawing for product design class at Pratt, which gave me the basic hand skills to be able to communicate in a 3D form using pen and paper. The work from that class began the process of creating a portfolio to use when applying to graduate school.
25
Post-College | inspiration
milan kundera
Kundera’s writing became inspirational because of the way in which he weaves fictional stories, historical events and context and sociological ideas together to craft a compelling story.
Post-College | inspiration
objectified
This documentary showed me some of the psychology behind humanity’s attachment to physical objects and why that is important. It introduced me to some of the famous and successful designers in today’s world, allowing me to identify and see some similarities in myself and my characteristics. 27
Post-College | my works | drawing Title: Easy Grip Camera Model Date: March, 2010
tools
skills
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Pencil Paper Foam board Mattboard Exacto
Perspective Modeling 3D drawing Concept development
Post-College | my works | drawing Title: Computer Mouse Date: August 2010
tools
skills
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Pencil Paper
Shading 3D drawing Mechanical drawing Thinking holistically
29
Graduate Studies
The transition from a product focus to systems and theory happened my first year of graduate school. While in school, I began to put together everything I’d been struggling with throughout my artistic career: social issues, aesthetics, materials and space. I could see how my abilities were best suited to design the world around me. Empowered by the design process I set out to take on meaningful work.
taught me a great deal about myself, the way I work in the world, and what type of designer I would like to be.
The projects and learning that took place over that time
See portfolio attached for more in depth projects.
Upon graduation, I hope to begin in the world, making a difference through implementing the process of design. My skill set is varied and wide, but my ability to learn and synthesize quickly make whatever work I am doing, interesting and fruitful.
31
Graduate Studies | inspiration
Jap | Rauschenberg, 1999
robert rauschenberg
Rauschenberg’s later artwork offers a perspective of layering and expression that I was searching for in previous artists. His “Ruminations” series was a work that seems as though it had a big effect on modern aesthetics. He also has captured an air of nostalgia with this series that is missing from his other works.
Graduate Studies | inspiration
Fuller, 1979
buckminster fuller
Fuller was one of the first designers/architects I recognized as the shapers of culture. His connection to society and the future was something I found hopeful and enlightening. This was an introduction to systems thinking and would inform the way I thought about the world I was designing. 33
Graduate Studies | moving forward
Using what I’ve learned - new skills and interests - I would like to continue with design in a research capacity. The stage of design research allows for the most learning and use of my skills of synthesis to create something new. I enjoy thinking about what could be - the future - while
keeping the aesthetics and research in mind. I like giving strategic direction because I am able to see the entire system, while keeping the details in order. This ability to zoom in and out at different scales is a skill I value greatly and would not have learned if not for my time in graduate school. 35