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I, Object Assignment.




 The first show for the object design department at Auarts, I, Object, is a pleasure. I spent much of my time chatting with the other students at this closing show, reflecting mostly on how much this program has evolved post-pandemic. I signed up for object design in my first year in 2021, and after reading the description, I was overly confident that I was signing up for a self-directed ceramics or sculpture course. Of course, on the first day of class, when everything was online, I realized that I would be designing objects using CAD. Honestly, I was livid. I was sure that I was going to be a purely traditional artist who focused on the discipline of painting and drawing. Spoiler alert: object design is now my minor, so its safe to say I changed my mind. Having been a traditional artist, however, the first few weeks were absolute hell, and the learning curve was embarrassing.


Yikes.....



I, Object, managed to capture the essence of what drew me into object design and the very best aspects of the program that made me change my mind, and even my career path, especially now that I will be starting a new program in the fall in advanced video game development.  I loved everything about the show, from the advancements in teaching ideation processes, which Anahita has been bringing to the program, to the reverse engineering, problem solving and logic skills Bryan has ingrained into the program from its inception. It was difficult to select a work which I felt embodied all of these key concepts in object design, but finally I settled on my peer's work from OBDF 311, Daniela Szoke.


I chose Daniela's work because I felt that the connection between form, content, and context was well presented and thoughtful. I had the privilege of hearing Daniella's proposal in the first few weeks and watching it evolve right until the last day of class, and I learned several things about her heritage and culture.

The key concept of her bespoke item focused on subverting anti-indigenous narratives by recreating the figures of the indigenous people of present-day Venezuela, the Tacarigua peoples.


 Recreating and presenting these figures within our institution is playing a part in decolonialism within the gallery system. The figures are displayed on top of a plinth, which rises to roughly to waist height and claims space within the exhibit. With this intentional use of staging, the figures convey a sense of urgency to be seen and remembered. 


 Because these are regarded as 'ancient' figures, creating them by 3D printing also brings attention to the fact that these systems of oppression of Indigenous people are not simply things that happened in the past, but that there are still people out there in the present who feel the impact of colonialism day to day. I also enjoy the level of detail that the work has, and I feel that Daniela's experimentation with the nozzle pattern from the clay 3D printer has paid off, with some of the figures being created with straight lines and others with a zig-zag pattern. I particularly enjoyed the zig-zag pattern of the clay because it is a distinct texture that would otherwise be difficult to create within the constraints of traditional sculpture making, which has also been shaped by Eurocentric standards of making and creating. Because of this, the pattern is captivating to the eye and serves as a powerful reminder that European art is not the only form of fine art. 




On another note, I also feel that because Daniella has brought an ancient practice to the world of digital fabrication it also feels like a love letter to the Tacarigua's culture, as she both praises their modes of knowing and making and translates it into the modern era through a means of production with clay printing that still embraces the original medium. If these figures could talk, they would beckon to the viewer, "We're still here". Daniella sums this up beautifully on her blog, which I encourage anyone reading this to check out: "The combination of historical research and modern fabrication techniques demonstrates how bespoke design can preserve cultural stories while innovating for the future". 

Check out Daniella's Work and show it all the love!!!!

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