Written Paper

Elaine Zhang

MA Graphic Design

Written Paper

Words count: 529

At the end of MA study, in addition to the final show, it is significantly necessary to summarize the statement about current practice and to think about the future longer-term goals; therefore, I analyze and reflect these two parts in this written paper.

Looking back at the past, firstly I got to know my interested field clearly in the process of the self-development and did more practices. Generally, my work was to explore the stressful and fickle modern life and the suppression of emotion in urban life. In addition to the theme of my project, I am really interested in participatory art and space design, which was mentioned as key point in my study proposal and research paper. Specifically, my research and practice area was about the interaction between graphic language and the participation of audience in the organization of space. In the process, I extended my ideas by using models and installation and projecting into real private space, which all related to the ways to create ‘atmosphere’ in a particular setting. I tested different ways and tried to make my ideas visible to the public. Besides, it was inevitable to encounter problems, for example, how to realize my models in visual form and how to make viewers to experience the visual effect. In particular, after the final show presentation, I faced a question that I just thought about to use public image into a private space which was a way to make the outside stresses to contrast with the inside individual private space. However, I had not concerned that if I want to show this visual work into an exhibition space, it becomes another way to make the private back to a public space and the meaning will be changed. That was the big problem made me confused, but on the other side, it also made me to think about my work from a new point of view. To solve the problem, I will just print the private space photos as a book, rather than project it into a public space. Meanwhile, I still keep developing the idea about space experience and try to create a stressful and giddy effect by using mirrors and projection, which will be showed in the final exhibition.

Looking forward to the future, I get to know what I really want to do from MA study because of the practice and development, which were closed to installation, 3D work or participatory design in a public space. How to create the connection between the artist’s work and the viewers is a question I often concerned, so I am really interested in the participation and interaction work in gallery space, which was showed evidently from my practices and final work. As a result, after graduation, I want to do the work related to this field, such as curator, which could be worked in a gallery space and do some works related exhibition planning.

All in all, I learnt much from the MA study, found out the defect that should be concerned in the future development and got to know what area I actually interested in and what kind of profession I want to choose.