Art making is a way of ‘researching’ into a topic, just like any other class.  This class teaches you how to engage in practice-based research, but there is a little soul searching involved to figure out exactly what it is that you wish to research.  This two-part exercise will give you a chance to discover what it is you are interested in, critical views you have about the world, topics you’d like to uncover, you are passionate about and are important enough to want to make art about.  This self-discovery will reveal topics that will inform recommendations from your TA for your Artist Poster project.  Please bring the identified topics into Week 2 lab time.

Some Tips:

• Please brainstorm (in any way you like) by Identifying personal interests and provocations, and keep pushing points about them that are specific and critical. You may want to think about why you are interested in personal interests, your major discipline, future focus, etc.  For example, if you are a psychology major and interested in human interaction in relationships, then specify this and push on ideas of why.  If you are a computer science major, perhaps you are interested in how the computer can self-learn and negotiate the external world.  If you are interested in visual arts, please specify a particular part or concept of visual arts and representational systems. You do not have to submit your brainstorm materials but I strongly suggest doing it before creating your questions
• From here, please derive 5 topics or thematics (in order of preference) for which you are provoked or motivated by, and have a great investment (care) in towards how one/yourself can understand the world. They should also represent your generational, contemporary understanding, so must be relevant to the times we are living in and who you are!
• If you are interested in any specific contemporary artists, please bring their names into class.