Master of Fine Arts

thesisMaster of ArtsArt/Art HistoryThis paper embodies three main topics that repeatedly surfaced throughout my graduate experience. What is a design process? An intense study of the thing that you are designing. The design process is different for each individual depending on his or her attitude, character, and personal experiences. The designer must pull from these experiences and develop a process of approaching design. The process may be different for each project; however, the process is critical and must involve intro­ spection, experimentation, and comprehension of the problem. With this grab bag of attitudes and willingness to experiment the designer develops an idea that is uniquely his or her own. The process must be fully understood before the illumination can occur. Being disconnected from my family has influenced my attitude about family. As a designer, it is impor­tant to me to acknowledge memories through thoughts that were expressed by me and my family members about the memories we have of ourselves, our homes and our rituals. My move to Utah has deeply influenced my visual perception of the surrounding natural environment. Since moving here, I have observed how closely humans are connected with nature. More specifically, I have contemplated my own connection with nature. Salt Lake City is surrounded by wilderness, and has aroused in me an intense interest in this undeveloped landscape. I began to think about how this interest in nature could be connected to design. What design principles and elements are exhibited in nature? How do I transfer observations of nature into visual communication? Not only was I curious to explore the relationship between two unrelated variables - nature and design, but I also wanted to educate and arouse interest in natural areas surrounding Salt Lake City that may be well travelled, but not fully understood and appreciated. Therefore this creative project fulfills two different purposes:To explore the elements and principles of design and relate them to observation and research on Big Cottonwood Canyon, to use design to edu­cate people to instigate a change in behavior when travelling in natural environments