By Phoebe Bronstein
Daily Bruin Contributor
Photography, film, digital video, drawing, sculpture and more
come together in the Media Arts Undergraduate Exhibit 2002, which
features projects created by first-year to fifth-year students in
regular or independent study courses.
The show was curated and set up by staff and students,
supervised by Gail Swanlund. The students were able to help choose
the work and install the show, which opened on Friday.
Freshman classes on color, form and typography have important
places in the show. One class on examining form took regular,
everyday objects and changed their usage: one student created a
shoe out of nails, another created a boat out of plastic water
bottles, and another made a piggy bank out of pennies.
“What we take for granted are objects,” said Maroun
Harb, one of the design and media experts associated with the show.
“They transform those objects into something completely
different and new.”
Another room features about 15 five-minute videos filmed on
digital cameras and directed by the students. The students were
expected to compose their own score for the video, learn how to use
a camera, work with editing on computers, hire actors and write a
script. The videos were an assigned project that dealt with
storytelling and narrative using new technology.
Another room will feature interactive works created by the
students.Â
One student created a couch that has the word “envy”
formed into part of its design, and when one sits upon it, the
couch talks.Â
The creation is wired to a computer that reacts to the pressure
when someone sits on the couch. Many projects such as this aim to
use the computer as a tool in the background to communicate with
the viewing audience.
“The main objective of this project is to allow people to
want to interact with the computer using an interface other than
the conventional keyboard and mouse,” said Amie Lin, a UCLA
graduate, of her interactive piece, “Wound,” which
centers around the concept of healing.
This show encompasses many different aspects of media and
design, ultimately bringing the skills of freshmen and sophomores
together in projects constructed by seniors.
ART: The Media Arts Undergraduate Exhibit 2002
is featured at the New Wight Gallery, 1100 Dickson Art
Center. The gallery is open now through Feb. 1, Monday-Friday,
9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is free.