Capstones

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https://hdl.handle.net/10217/180165

These digital collections contain Department of Art and Art History capstone projects from 2012 to present, organized into themes by studio art concentration.

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Now showing 1 - 12 of 12

Open Access
Angela Natrasevschi: capstone
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Natrasevschi, Angela, artist
The artist's statement: Ekphrasis is traditionally the process of poetry that describes or expands upon a work of visual art. My work investigates this through the alternative process of exploring the relationship between my painting and poetry practices. These medias are simultaneously developed to focus on the conversation between the painting and poetry, as they inform each other. Through this process both medias become one piece, each counterpart inextricably linked. I am interested in the way a poem and painting that are created together can contextually influence each other and how this can direct discursive and non-discursive experiences of visual information for the viewer through this relationship of text and image. In my practice this conceptual framework does not direct scale and content. These are fluid, and are solely directed by the motivations of individual pieces. Although, the reoccurring themes in content I am continually interested in exploring are geological forces, organic, abstraction, and investigation of the human body.
Open Access
Britta Horsfall: capstone
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Horsfall, Britta, artist
The artist's statement: Along Highway 1 from mile marker 72 to 58, I'm reminded of who I am. Big Sur, California has been my safe haven for the last six years, welcoming me back time and time again; each trip becoming its own mile marker in my journey. God has His hand on that coast, I'm sure of it. Dense rolling fog, steep cliffs, trails littered with coastal sage, waves that deserve their own seven minute segment in The Endless Summer. Tide pools, saltwater bedhead, pants rolled up with feet sunk ankle-deep in sooty river beds. The kind of laughter that warms you from the inside out. When I am there, I am myself. This series comes from a frustration that simmers just under the surface of my college career, whispering continually, "Not yet." It is the lust for a chapter that is both past and yet to be. Functioning as my mile markers, giving me order where my memories are fluid and fading. I want to be there, but I am not there. A blend of painting, weaving, and hand stitching culminate as my collection of love letters back to the sea; reflecting on weekend surf trips with dear friends, moments of self discovery on hidden beaches, and the subtle electricity that fills the air as whales migrate north. These are my people. And this is my place. These are my tomorrows and my yesterdays.
Open Access
Daniel Westhoff: capstone
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Westhoff, Daniel, artist
The artist's statement: My artwork poses metaphysical questions that analyze what constitutes the human mind, with the intention of better understanding our ends and motives as a society and a species. My process is an introspective one, enhanced by the slow and contemplative nature of metalwork. In creating an object, I learn more about myself, using each piece as a visual model for the issue I think upon. Through the content of my work, I invite viewers to engage in a similar mental process. My recent work is an exploration of the mind, and its inner workings. Each aspect, or faculty, provides a unique function in overall sentience. Our intuition supplies us with a foundation through which we can understand the world. Our perception is what manifests our experiences, and each vantage renders no experience the same as another. Through our reason, we can solve problems and determine the best course of action. Through our will, we enact our agenda and forge our destinies. My aim is to understand how each of these faculties operate and relate to one another, and turn the inquiry into physical objects. I portray these mental faculties as keys because of the way in which each of them, when used properly, grants access to new places and new states of mind. The process involved in making these pieces is as important as the final product. The choice of metal, and the techniques and elements used in each key, relate to the specific faculty represented. In this way, each key is imbued both materially and conceptually with the essence of my inquiry.
Open Access
Erica Quihuiz: capstone
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2019) Quihuiz, Erica, artist
The artist's statement: I use process as an exercise in tranquility, humor as an exercise in empathy, and risk as an exercise in transformation. I embrace contemporary forms of print media as an effective form of self-expression, and also hold a deep respect for the rich historical tradition of printmaking as a trade and a craft. I encourage shifts in technology as an allegory to examine our ever-fluctuating environment alongside what it means to be a female. I am inspired by contemporary feminist writings and specifically respond directly to the ever-present tendrils of the Chthulucene. As an antidote to pure cynicism, I like to play with unconventional materials such as pigments extracted from tea or fresh fruits and imagine that I am resourcefully gathering vital supplies in preparation for a meaningful psychological battle against an ominous ecological future.
Open Access
Erin Bolte: capstone
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Bolte, Erin, artist
The artist's statement: I create work that draws on the historic traditions of fiber art while pushing towards forms that ease the ennui. Every piece starts as a series of strings that build up with intention over time fusing together to create a form. During the creation process a constant conversation takes place between myself and the piece. It talks, I listen. Although I am the artist I am not in lead of the conversation. I push and pull and manipulate and question until the work before me emits a feeling of quiet confidence telling me that it is exactly what it needs to be. Fibers allows me to remain within my work long after it's created. My epithelial cells are forever nestled dead within the threads of my work. The needles that pierce fabric also prick my fingers. The sweat of my hands permeates the cloth. This is my language and this is how I speak the loudest.
Open Access
Jade Federlin: capstone
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2021) Federlin, Jade, artist
The artist's statement: I am anxious to become a content creator. I want to provide people with designs and ideas they have never thought possible. My intention is to provide works that are appealing to look at and have a creative thought process, that is visible to the eye. I have 17 years of experience being an athlete, and throughout college as a D1 swimmer. I understand the needs of performance, dedication, aesthetics and design of working hard and having fun. These attributes are just a few of why I want to provide my personality, ideas, and skills to my community. I am graduating from Colorado State University with a BFA in graphic design and a minor in business administration. The business portion also proving my skills with people and being able to deliver ideas that contribute to different aspects of the client's needs. My technology proficiencies surpass most general knowledge, with using many platforms such as Adobe creative suites and other design platforms, and even Java coding. My designs are a curation of my personality, experiences and creative wants. I see design all around us, as a way to communicate our visual minds. I enjoy designing logos, packaging, posters, mockups and many others. I also draw inspiration upon taking photos and implementing those into my designs. Photos allow us to see a moment in time frozen but then placing them into a different format, and incorporating designs, then changing the whole perspective on how we see it. Ideas coming to life is exceedingly rewarding. I want to show everyone that design is all around us, and it simply starts as an idea and blossoms into colors, lines and shapes, to make something beautiful.
Open Access
Jamie Thompson: capstone
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Thompson, Jamie, artist
The artist's statement: A collection of the works of art created through my time in Colorado State University's "Advanced Drawing Program." As I've grown in the years, my exploration and work seeks to understand what influences myself, my mind, and my overall growth as a human being in our society. Some of these bonds leave scars, provide small comfort, or even both. I seek to understand their strengths, their weakness, and the people that give them a foundation and port for the bridges to connect to.
Open Access
Jeramy Smith Robertson: capstone
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2018) Robertson, Jeramy "Smith", artist
The artist's statement: "In the long history of humankind (and animal kind, too) those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed"-Charles Darwin. I make sculpture that look at human interactions in a critical and satirical manner. With the hope that my audience will think more about the effects of their actions on nature and each other. I want to shine a light on political and societal issues, like military policing by the USA and the debate on gun rights, highlighting the implications of the choices individuals make on a global and personal scale. I do this by comparing mousetraps to handguns and turning the Afghanistan war into a drinking game. I use familiar iconography to present loaded political issues so that discourse can form around a subject.
Open Access
Laura Morrison Pibel: capstone
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Morrison Pibel, Laura, artist
The artist's statement: I approach graphic design projects akin to creating characters. Like a character profile, I consider the personality of the piece, the tone of the place, the audience it will interact with, and what mood I am trying to convey. These all influence what I see as the character of the design - whether the lines are rigid or free flowing, the colors vibrant or muted, the texture glossy or soft. This kind of development guides me in understanding the project deeper and how to justify my decisions. My focus tends to be on the illustration work as the primary communicator of the project and I challenge myself to experiment on the styles of my designs, the mediums, and the technical aspects. A key part of my process is the audience. I am constantly thinking of the audience and how they will perceive the works. This means I approach designing from an introspective place, reflecting on what the designs communicate to me personally. I also view it as a collaborative effort where I value the feedback and perspectives of other people to develop and enhance the design. Viewing design from a character and audience standpoint guide my investigation of the project and further my understanding of design as a communicator.
Open Access
Rachel Stern: capstone
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Stern, Rachel, artist and filmmaker
The artist's statement: Our technology has made us all librarians of our memories. We have hundreds of pictures on our phones, work from years ago on our computers, and music playlists that are like time capsules. I find it funny how robots never forget, but our brains do; while humans feel emotion and robots do not. My work focuses on how robots preserve memory and emotion, despite their own lack of feeling. I play with that concept in my work with how a video or robot re-creates a memory, that will then never be forgot by the robot, but gives emotion to the viewer despite the device never understanding what it giving to the user. I focus heavily on shape, contrast and movement in my work to convey emotion. Often times, I highlight silhouettes for their shape gives detail while remaining interpretational. Another aspect of my work is a feeling of endlessness. My work has no clear ending, and no clear starting point other than the power button on the device. Our memories blur and we can get trapped in our own minds as we try to remember parts we have forgotten or where one moment started and one ended. I find more and more that the dates next to the photos on my phone fill in these gaps of knowledge, and my work demonstrates that. The feeling of artificial nostalgia mixed with emotion is where the heart of my work lies. Many science fiction movies play with the idea of robots gaining emotion, becoming self aware, able to learn, and ultimately killing humanity. While that is a reasonable fear to have, we ourselves are practically cyborgs already. Recording our memories to share online, our phones reminding us of schedules, and machines that help us create great things. As an artist my job is to remind us that our relationship with technology doesn't have to be seen as bad, but to see how it helps us remember our own humanity. Remember great moments that without our devices, we may have forgotten.
Open Access
Sydney Mann: capstone
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2018) Mann, Sydney, artist
The artist's statement: My work often revolves around the theme of hurting and healing, whether that be emotional, physical, spiritual, or mental. I pull from my own experiences, and the collective experience of humanity. This hurting and healing process is explored through a variety of 2D and 3D mixed media and often incorporates elements of drawing and sculpture. I believe we are all in a constant state of flux and therefore I work very organically, often inspired by nature. My work typically consists of small repetitive actions or objects that make up a larger work. Being influenced by minimalism I typically have a muted or limited color pallet, so the viewer can focus on the form or gesture. Through my exploration of the nuances and dynamics of hurting and healing, I honor these human experiences and become part of the healing process.
Open Access
TreVaughn Hawkins: capstone
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2018) Hawkins, TreVaughn, artist and filmmaker
The artist's statement: Duality is an element that's found in all my artistic works, the methodology I approach every project with, how I live my life, and who I am as a person. But specifically in the context of my works in college, this duality is shown in my projects where I explore the differences of wonder and sorrow.

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