<p>Hi, looking for some feedback on my statement of purpose for a master of fine arts degree in furniture design. The essays are for the California College of the Arts and Rhode Island School of Design. </p>
<p>I thought I already posted this, but can't find it. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks</p>
<p>RISD</p>
<p>My goal is to push things further.
Push it further is a line I borrow from a great professor of mine. Every time I approached him with a design, he would reply, Thats great. Now push it further. And after study and experimentation, after firing down every axon, I would develop an idea that was exceptional. It would be an idea that I would not have found if I had been satisfied with my simply good ideas; if I had not pushed them further. And it is in this spirit that I am applying for a Master of Fine Arts degree in Furniture Design. There is so much more to learn.
My life was not always in art. It was not until my teenage years that I developed any interest in art. Until then, I had been singularly focused on a future in biological research, and entered college as a neuroscience major. But by my sophomore year, I realized that what I wanted most was to create things. There was a dynamism in expressing my thoughts and knowledge through an object that I could touch that I found best in art. But I never lost my intellectual thirst, and I bring that perspective to my life and to how I approach art today. I analyze. I experiment. I thrive under challenges.
In my work, I focus on shape, space, form, and the potential of the three dimensional object. I start with simple ideas: angles, shapes and negative and positive space. I experiment with the bounds of functionality and focus on interactivity and the experience of the user. I consider the aesthetic of a piece as well as its utility, and describe my work as sculpture that can be used as furniture. My aim is to make furniture that pushes limits artistically, functionally, and conceptually; to create something that resonates as a piece of art as much as a piece of furniture.
Furniture design is where I feel most creative. Furniture design has rules; at least at first glance. There are principles about the way wood or other materials can be joined; expectations for functionality; conceptions of what constitutes a table, or chair. It is because of these parameters that my imagination is able to flourish, because they create the ideal platform for taking risks. Every piece is a creative challenge to explore, where in I can stretch limits and overcome preconceived notions of what furniture is supposed to be. For me, furniture design is the process of recognizing a tangible, functional need and finding the most interesting way to fill it. Every design is a puzzle. I can solve it.
In seeking a Master of Fine Arts, I want to develop my skills and explore new mediums and methods of creative thought. But I also want to gain an enhanced perspective on what furniture is as an art form, something that I feel can be uniquely achieved at the Rhode Island School of Design.
During my undergraduate career at Brown University, I met with Professor Rosanne Somerson. She said that the Rhode Island School of Design takes a broad approach to the definition of furniture design, and that, We consider furniture anything that can be part of the human experience. I found this remarkably compelling. And it stuck with me. This imaginative and progressive interpretation of furniture design opens the door to the incredible breadth of creative thought that I am seeking in a graduate school education.<br>
But much of a program depends on the diversity of its cast of characters: how they learn from one another to achieve new artistic heights. It is to this kind of community that I can contribute unique experience and perspective.
My experiences, the risks I have taken, my successes, and my failures together define my art, my person, and what I can contribute. I have interest and experience in multiple mediums, including wood, metal, ceramics and glass, all of which I want to incorporate in my work. Over the last five years, I built two art studios from the ground up. I owned and operated my own furniture design business, and though it did not last, gained real experience about the way business intertwines with art. I worked at an expansive high design furniture store, and learned about the way the commercial furniture industry operates. I also love teaching art, which lends itself to my ultimate goal of being a professor.
Experience informs perspective; perspective informs art; art informs community. My experiences have been about taking risks; about pushing life and pushing art further. And I hope to bring this experience to the Rhode Island School of Design. </p>
<p>CCA</p>
<p>My goal is to push things further.
Push it further is a line I borrow from a great professor of mine. Every time I approached him with a design, he would reply, Thats great. Now push it further. And after study and experimentation, after firing down every axon, I would develop an idea that was exceptional. It would be an idea that I would not have found if I had been satisfied with my simply good ideas; if I had not pushed them further. And it is in this spirit that I am applying for a Master of Fine Arts. There is so much more to learn.
My life was not always in art. It was not until my teenage years that I developed any interest in art. Until then, I had been singularly focused on a future in biological research, and entered college as a neuroscience major. But by my sophomore year, I realized that what I wanted most was to create things. There was a dynamism in expressing my thoughts and knowledge through an object that I could touch that I found best in art. But I never lost my intellectual thirst, and I bring that perspective to my life and to how I approach art today. I analyze. I experiment. I thrive under challenges.
In my work, I focus on shape, space, form, and the potential of the three dimensional object. I start with simple ideas: angles, shapes and negative and positive space. I experiment with the bounds of functionality and focus on interactivity and the experience of the user. I consider the aesthetic of a piece as well as its utility, and describe my work as sculpture that can be used as furniture. My aim is to make furniture that pushes limits artistically, functionally, and conceptually; to create something that resonates as a piece of art as much as a piece of furniture.
Furniture design is where I feel most creative. Furniture design has rules; at least at first glance. There are principles about the way wood or other materials can be joined; expectations for functionality; conceptions of what constitutes a table, or chair. It is because of these parameters that my imagination is able to flourish, because it creates the ideal platform for taking risks. Every piece is a creative challenge to explore, where in I can stretch limits and overcome preconceived notions of what furniture is supposed to be. For me, furniture design is the process of recognizing a tangible, functional need and finding the most interesting way to fill it. Every design is a puzzle. I can solve it.
In seeking a Master of Fine Arts, I want to develop my skills and explore new mediums and methods of creative thought. But I also want to gain an enhanced interdisciplinary perspective on what furniture is as an art form, something that I feel can be uniquely achieved at the California College of the Arts
In visiting CCAs website, I heard the words of Professor Russell Baldon,
At the beginning of the semester, you guys are going to propose stuff that I dont know how to make. But together we are going to figure it out. And thats really the mindset Im trying to train people for. I found this remarkably compelling. And it stuck with me. This is the mindset with which I want to approach my art. This is the view on what is possible that will open the door for the incredible breadth of creative thought that I am seeking in a graduate school education.<br>
But much of a program depends on the diversity of its cast of characters: how they learn from one another to achieve new artistic heights. It is to this kind of community that I can contribute unique experience and perspective.
My experiences, the risks I have taken, my successes, and my failures together define my art, my person, and what I can contribute. I have interest and experience in multiple mediums, including wood, metal, ceramics and glass, all of which I want to incorporate in my work. Over the last five years, I built two art studios from the ground up. I owned and operated my own furniture design business, and though it did not last, gained real experience about the way business intertwines with art. I worked at an expansive high design furniture store, and learned about the way the commercial furniture industry operates. I also love teaching art, which lends itself to my ultimate goal of being a professor.
Experience informs perspective; perspective informs art; art informs community. My experiences have been about taking risks; about pushing life and pushing art further. And I hope to bring this experience to the California College of the Arts. </p>
<p>Thanks</p>