montserrat design
design senior projects, ca 1998-2020
2018 < 2019 > 2020 course blogs : fall 18, spring 19
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Cassidy Bollinger Amy Chan Emily Fox (Book Arts) |
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Kara Guttadauro Jenn Jones (Book Arts) Vincent Mainetti |
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Taylor Mortimore N. N. Newhart (Book Arts) Andrew Tricoche |
- Cassidy Bollinger
Creature ComfortI understood from the beginning that I wanted my project to be about people. I became a fly on the wall, collecting data of individual’s paths as they make their ways through public spaces. Most commonly I sat at the coffee shop, trying to capture a moment in time with a sketch on a piece of paper. My interests became much more about documenting behavior I found curious. Creating narratives, and journaling became an important part of my observational mapmaking. That is when I took on the task of mapping myself.
It was then in this process I realized, our own paths are what is truly important, not recounting someone else’s. Figuring out how we wander through this world, what we seek to bring us a little bit of comfort. For me, the act of taking walks was one of the few certainties of my day; “you will walk to school, and you will walk home”. But instead of just giving into the cold and allowing my feet to carry me, I felt actively participating in every step consciously. - Amy Chan
Modern QuackerySnake oils, medicine that has claimed to cure almost all of our problems. It has existed for hundreds of years. What began as Chinese medicine dating back to the 1800s, was actual oil extracted from a water snake, used to relieve joint pains. Western culture changed the truth of snake oils and it is now seen as quackery. Snake oils in existence now are accompanied by serious language, with strict restrictions and guidelines. The change in language can sometimes be dull, and difficult to understand.
I have created several products for common, specific problems encountered in our modern society. The products are based on words ranging from various languages that describe specific feelings or emotions. They include important information that is blunt, along with some elements you would normally see on packaging. A modern twist to quackery. - Emily Fox (Book Arts)
Stitch and RepeatPrintmaking and fiber arts have been consistent elements in my work for a few years now. The repetitive nature of both of these art forms is what originally drew me to them, and I decided to look at how these two things can behave when used together. After designing a tool to create iterative prints from a woven substrate, I have been using this “loom plate” to investigate repetition, texture, and color. This process has allowed me to blur the lines between craft, fine art, and design.
- Kara Guttadauro
Fibers of MemoryUsing clothing from my grammie, my mother, and myself I have transformed them into paper. Clothing carries meaning and memories from times you wore them, to who you got them from. I have taken these items that lay around, to utilize the memories in them and turn them into usable paper. This is something that can be done for a loved one who has passed, or a piece of clothing that is no longer wearable but you can’t bring yourself to discard because of the connection you still have with it. Having the paper is almost the same as having that piece of clothing but you are able to do so much more with it now.
- Jenn Jones (Book Arts)
That’s Kind of DarkTo understand one’s darkness is to understand their light. My work in this show revolves around the importance of dark times in the Gospel, nature, and our own lives, and how they not only strengthen us, but reinforce our need, and love for light. I’m exploring the physical and metaphorical interpretations of light through symbolism and light as a medium. I am also challenging the idea of a “dark time”, to view it as good; as a natural opportunity for healing and reclamation. The reality of life is that it’s kind of dark. And that’s something we all can learn to embrace, through praise and prayer, in order to live freely and lightly.
- Vincent Mainetti
ModularityI began exploring structural packaging to understand more about package design and the involved user experience. This exploration revealed that packaging is not just about the surface treatment working well with the package’s shape. I discovered that a degree of modularity in the packages was necessary to provide the work with a sustainable “shelf presence”. After contemplating this observation, I moved the focus away from structural packaging and towards modularity. Not wanting to lose all of the user involvement incorporated with packaging I began creating modular wall systems from geometric shapes. The assembling of these wall systems creates a unique user experience similar to the experiences in packaging, as well as an interesting aesthetic when placed in a view only environment.
- Taylor Mortimore
Where Do You Think We’re Going?Life brings death, it is the one known factor throughout our lives. Yet it rarely crosses our minds. My work confronts questions about the afterlife and raises concerns over how we are living now. Chemicals, nuclear bombs, and the invention of plastic has helped create modern comforts most us can’t imagine living without. Our comfortable lives are filled with toxic trash which we have carried away weekly, out of sight and guilt-free we waste more and more. Confronting death head-on is seeing the destruction of our planet. It is hard to face that we as members of all humanity have a hand in poisoning the world that is home to us all. There is pain in truth, unfortunately, death is inescapable. Fortunately, though, the freedom and beauty of life is that there is always time to change.
- N. N. Newhart (Book Arts)
We Were Never Meant To SucceedI spent my life being told what to believe about the Bible by family, media, and the clergy but I never looked for myself. With a mounting interest in books and their impact, I decided to explore this monumental book and make my own opinions. This collection of work is based on my search for truth and understanding in the Christian Bible.
- Andrew Tricoche
Seeing SoundsMy interest in music and hand lettering inspired me to investigate the possibilities of visualizing speech. By adjusting variables in the structure of the letter, spelling of the word, and spacing, I am able to adjust the sound of the subconscious voice and accurately portray variations in sound. Pulling acapellas from various songs, my work attempts to blend sound with sight through art.