BENJAMIN WATERS Candidate for admission to M.Arch Class of 2016
2008 [“Independent Voices”] April 2008 Two of my poems were selected to be featured in a high school poetry anthology and to be read a high school poetry reading.
[“The New Awkward”] May 2008 A piece I completed for my Oil Painting class was selected to be shown at a high school show at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. It was one of 50 chosen out of over 400.
Oil Painting
[Final RISD Show] August 2008 I self-portrait I completed for Basic Drawing at RISD Pre-College was selected by my professor to be shown in the final shown. It was one of three chosen by my professor.
June to August 2008
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RISD Pre-College
[Solo Photography Show] April to May 2009 I was invited to curate a show of my photography work at Calhoun.
Photography II
2009
[Claudia Curfman Castellana Grant] May 2009 I was awarded a grant from Calhoun to attend Cornell’s Summer College to study architecture.
[“Independent Visions”] May 2009 The diptych entitled “Lunge” was selected to be shown in a high school photography gallery opening.
June to August 2009
Independent
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Cornell University Summer College
Aug 2009
Still Life Study Completed for Basic Drawing at RISD Pre-College 18� x 24� Charcoal on paper For this assignment, I was asked to complete a still life while paying particular attention to composition, scale, and shadow.
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Figure Drawing Study One Completed for Basic Drawing at RISD Pre-College 18” x 24” Charcoal and Conté crayon on paper This study was drawn from life. It represents a milestone in my ability to understand and render form through light and shadows.
Figure Drawing Study Two Completed for Basic Drawing at RISD Pre-College 18” x 24” Charcoal and Conté crayon on paper Like the study to the left, this sketch also represents a major step in my drawing skills. I particularly like this one because of its looser quality.
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Self Portrait Study Completed for Basic Drawing at RISD Pre-College 18” x 24” Charcoal and Conté crayon on paper This self portrait was chosen to be shown in the final show at RISD Pre-College; each major had its own drawing class, and this piece was one of three chosen to be shown from furniture design.
Coral Study Completed for Basic Drawing at RISD Pre-College 8� x 8� White china marker and paper This study was drawn from life.
New Mexican Study Completed independently 6� x 9� White colored pencil and paper This study was also drawn from life. This piece, along with the piece to the far left, both represent some of my strongest freehand drawing.
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Object Study Completed for Basic Design at RISD Pre-College 8” x 10” each Sumi ink on cold press board For this assignment, I was asked to make “significant” changes to the original object (far left), an 18th century diamond holder, while preserving its functionality.
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Hierarchy Study Completed for Basic Design at RISD Pre-College Triptych: 8� x 10� each From left, all on cold press board: 1) paper and glue, 2) sumi ink, paper, and glue, and 3) gouache. Mentioned as one of most successful solutions for this assignment, this triptych represents the beginning of my experience with translating intellectual ideas into design solutions.
“Shiprock” Completed for Oil Painting 24” x 18” Oil on canvas This piece represents my ability to portray light and texture in the oil medium.
Untitled Completed for Oil Painting 11” x 14” Oil on canvas Inspired by the works of Piet Mondrian and Karl Benjamin, this painting is the peak of my experimental work from my Oil Painting class. In contrast to the painting on the opposite page, this painting was my last completed in Oil Painting while the other was my first. This painting was featured in a high school show at the Museum of Modern Art in New York entitled “The New Awkward” in May of 2008.
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Riverside I (“Contour”) Completed for Photography II 4.75” x 3.25” Silver gelatin photography After completing Photography I in the fall of my junior year, I continued my exploration of black and white photography through a series of tree portraits. I focused on the interactions and relationships to and between the city and its flora. I am particularly proud of this piece due to the difficulty in developing snow.
Riverside II (“Chemin de fer”) Completed for Photography II 5.5” x 8” Silver gelatin photography Highly altered, this photograph represents the beginning of my exploration of contrast, light, and the relationship between the two. In addition, this piece also exhibits my ability to manipulate shots in the darkroom.
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Riverside III (“Embrace”) Completed for Photography II 4” x 6” Silver gelatin photography This piece, the third in my Riverside series, depicts a tree leaning towards the center of the city. I love in this photo, despite the deathly appearance of the tree, how it appears to be in motion (or living).
Riverside IX (“Nexus”) Completed for Photography II 6” x 4” Silver gelatin photography The last piece in my Riverside series, “Nexus” is different from the rest in that I did not modify it in the lab to the extent that I did the rest. “Nexus” is my favorite photograph in the series.
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“Lunge” Completed for Photography II Diptych: 7.75” x 3.5” each Silver gelatin photography This diptych, a continuation of my exploration of trees, was chosen to be shown in a high school photography show, Independent Visions, in May of 2009. Although two completely different photos (and trees), at first glance this diptych appears to be one photo. Through further observation, the subtle contrast between the two becomes increasingly apparent, revealing that this diptych, in fact, represents two individual trees.
Artifact Documentation Drawing Completed for Intro to Architecture at Cornell University 26” x 40” Graphite and paper For this assignment, I was asked to draft an “exquisite object”; I received an antique nutcracker. Emphasized as a key element of this assignment was an effective composition. Radiating from the center portrait, I placed the corresponding sections in relationship to the center, revealing each’s function in the object. I also elaborated on the spring mechanism of the object in two zoom frames. This assignment was my first experience with drafting.
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Artifact Abstraction Drawing Completed for Intro to Architecture at Cornell University 26” x 40” Graphite and paper This piece is an elaboration on the documentation drawing of the nutcracker (on the prior page). For this assignment, I was asked not only represent the object to exact scale (with varying degrees of detail), but also, to represent the object’s motion and utility. Coming to the conclusion that the nutcracker is wrapping as a means to fragmentation, I decided to emphasize the teeth and the negative space in the center of the object.
Cube Studies Completed for Intro to Architecture at Cornell University Summer College 4” x 4” each Chipboard and glue I selected these four studies (out of a total of 12) to display the process I took to arrive at my final solution for a cube that exemplifies“intersection.”
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[The culmination of my studies at Cornell: my final project, representing nearly 70 hours of work in five days time.]
front view
inspiration for siting
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I chose to include this project in my portfolio not only because of the large amount of time I invested in its completion, but also, because this project
Final Project Completed for Intro to Architecture at Cornell University Summer College 1/16 and 1/8 models: 25”w x 26”d x 8” h Chipboard, basswood, and glue Section and cube elevation drawings: 26” x 40” Paper and graphite
site model
represents a milestone in my ability to think three dimensionally, draft with precision, and bring significance to design. In other words, this project embodies all that I learned while at Cornell; this project is a testament to my dedication and love for architecture and design.
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Bench Completed for Furniture Design at RISD Pre-College 48” w x 16” h x 12” d Alder wood, glue, and tung oil Representing six weeks of work, this bench exhibits my love of minimalist design and precision. Held to together by four mortise and tenon joints as well as four lap joints, constructing this bench in the allotted time was difficult, but well worth the end product.This piece was also featured in the final show at RISD.
[Thank you.]
Benjamin Waters