For this body of work, I have been exploring the use of memory and perception to create illustrations in a first-person perspective, allowing the audience to use my body as a vessel. I believe by employing my body as a framing device, I can help onlookers see into my world. Through these illustrations, I reflect on the core aspects and memories of my collegiate career considering the relationships I have formed in a sort of “highlight reel”. Through my practice, I have homed in on aspects that examine my ever-changing environment and how I have shaped it. Continuing with this theme, I turned to introspective analysis in which I ponder my connectivity to others, asking if I am as dis/connected as I have felt.  

My process starts with drawing initial sketches from memory, then works to refine them through the method of digital rendering, which felt like the most natural and true medium for me. For display purposes, I printed them on adhesive paper, laying them flat against the wall to create a sort of window for viewing. Then, in choosing to draw from a first-person perspective, I alter and distort my bodily proportions to help illustrate the connectivity I felt within my body in the scene. Additionally, by utilizing text I aim to give a hint of my voice through my work, hoping to guide spectators through the pieces. I would like viewers to be able to place themselves in the centrality of the work, gleaning into my experience and being able to contemplate aspects of their own lives. 

This is my senior capstone project that I completed at Kalamazoo College. This series of 12 illustrations was completed digitally, then displayed as a series of 22”x34” inkjet & phototex adhesive prints.