a statement

Art still seems foreign to me. If I was told to draw a picture, it
would most likely not have any resemblance to what I intended it to
be. I lack traditional art skills; drawing, painting, etc. Art has
always been present in my life, whether it was commiserating with
friends stressing over their project deadlines or going to an art
festival on the weekend with my family. Art or the effects of it has
always surrounded me. I regret not having found the joy of art
earlier, I have certainly had the opportunities, but I was far more
concerned about developing skills to ensure job security in high
school than developing skills that would lead to my own happiness.

My first two years of college were horrible. I was unenthusiastic
about going to my classes. I had no interest in any of my classes, I
was taking them because I had to, and that caused me to burn out
on them. A friend of mine suggested I should take a quarter off
from business classes and try out art classes. He reasoned that I
would enjoy them because he and I are quite alike have
collaborated on creative projects over the years. I decided to take
his suggestion.

The concept of a studio class intrigued me, the freedom to think
and create was a complete a new experience, compare to sitting in
class everyday zoning out during my accounting lectures. I
decided to take more are classes in the summer and it was a
snowball effect, I have kept taking art classes ever since then. To
date I have not gone back to my business classes.

I have never put so much energy into and experienced such
commitment with anything as much as I have with my art classes,
simply because they feel “right.” If I had put as much focus as I
have with my art into anything else, I believe I could have been
successful, but not happy. The accomplishment I have gained from
creating art fuels my happiness, it makes me feel alive. While I am
still unsure of which direction my art will go in, I do know it makes
me happy which keeps me energized and excited about what I’m
doing which are my highest priorities.

-Shahid Khan

a statement

I don't really have a definite answer to why I am an artist, it's just always
been in my life.  As a child I went through all kinds of phases, where I wanted
to be different things like a doctor, clown, and occasional stunt man, and art
is a way I can be all that.  Art can stretch to all fields of life, it allows me
to explore anything I want.  It's that freedom that attracts me, I can be a
doctor one day and being in a kick ass car chase scene the next.  I basically
have an highly active imagination and a low attention span, and art allows me to
use both to my advantage.

Kevin Meyer

a statement

I don’t believe I ever sat down and decided to become an artist. It was just something that happened on its own. Right from the start I have been interested in painting, drawing and things of that nature. Later on I realized that I wanted to pursue an art related career because I hated pretty much every other subject. Art just made sense.

Developing through the years, more and more of my life became art related. Everything was expanding, and it wasn’t just my work that was art related, but my entire life. You can tell by the cut of my clothes and the style of my hair. You can tell by my posture and stance and how I compose myself. My clothes and lifestyle… and even the way I act have become dictated by this driving force in my life. Every part of me relates back to art.

Being interested in the design of the world has helped me figure out where I want my career to take me. From the cars we drive to the packaging on our products to the way we read news on the Internet, design changes the world. “Now that we can do anything, what will we do?” This question sparks thought about where my work can take me and where it can take others. What can I really do? The answer to this question is what drives me as an artist.

Katherine Hickey

a statement

Art is my primary form of communication. Since I am not originally from this country, my English will never be perfect. But through my art, I can speak to all people. There are no language barriers. Frequently, when I am struggling to explain something to someone or share a story, I resort to drawing pictures or diagrams. Because I am good at drawing and sketching, people are better able to understand me when I draw them a picture. I also find that when I draw or sketch, I am better able to make connections in my mind. I find art in almost everything I encounter.

Phoebe Kim

a statement

I am concerned with understanding the way things actually are; to
determine what is valid and important. The questions that I find most
interesting deal with our place in the natural world and how it has
changed over time with technology, invention and human ingenuity.

I always had difficulty believing what I would witness with my own
eyes as a child. I often would question whether I was really
experiencing my day-to-day life. I struggle to decide at what point
one thing becomes another. I believe my curiosity stems from how
variable the makeup of the things around me are.

At some level I think there is no true separation. I am just as
connected to my arm as I am to the car I drive. I live in an ocean of
energy without true definition between one thing and another.

In my art practice, I compare and contrast how I shape and organize
the natural world around me based on abstract notions and
understanding of what is natural. This often results in a coerced
conforming of the natural elements, often in seemingly unnatural ways.

My work is often about science, technology and the impact they have on
my community and myself. I create video shorts, digitally manipulated
images, 3d computer models and electronic installation sculptures. All
my work has a technology component in the subject matter or in the
construction of the piece.

As we invent technologies and discover more about what makes up the
basic structures around us, we continually redefine what it means to
be an individual and to be a community. Do all these things that we
create in turn shape us in unnatural ways?

Bill Shackelford

a statement

I am fascinated by the many roles people play
simultaneously. I am still a child, a daughter, a
girlfriend, and maybe someday soon a mother. I am a
student and a professional. Responsible and carefree.
Frustrated and playful. These different roles come and
go. Some days you’re one, other days you’re nine
different people all together. My intention as an
artist is to express these aspects in layers. Like an
abstract painting showing each separate side of an
object, I try to show each separate aspect of myself
or others as I encounter it. Because of this I like to
overlay video images and sound tracks over and over
again until they are sometimes unrecognizable as
individual pieces.

a statement

I am an artist because I want to express to society the way I see things. I feel that what I see and how I feel is important enough to be expressed through the arts. Whether anyone actually cares does not matter to me, but the fact that they can have the opportunity to at least indulge in my art will mean enough to me as is.

All I really hope my art will achieve is that at least one person out of many will at least understand or appreciate where I’m going with my work…even if it’s just one out of millions…that’s good enough for me.

a statement

In high school I didn't have a lot of opportunities to experiment with art. I knew I liked that idea of creating things and drawing, but that was the extent of it. All of my classes interfered with the art classes, so I just learned on my own in my free time. I didn't have a lot of things offered to me. I feel like now as I am taking more and more art classes at Ohio State, I am being introduced to so many different mediums, programs, and ideas. It's really exciting and scary all at the same time. Since I just learned on my own, I never really considered art and technology as something I would be interested in. The more I learn about its opportunities and capabilities, the more I want to do with it. I am realizing how hard it is to go about learning everything from nothing as I attempt to get into the major, but I have no doubt that I can get a hold of it and use it to do what I truly want to do.

For a while I was convinced that I wanted to be a forensic scientist. In high school I became fascinated with it, even back before CSI blew up. The idea of science and nature being able to go up against some of the evils in society was very exciting. Then I discovered that chemistry was not as exciting, and while there was room to be creative, science is not as flexible as something like art. Although I have given up on the idea of being a scientist, I still think about the subject. That is apparent in some of my artwork, as well as pop culture. I believe that pop culture is unavoidable, so some little things appear in my art like music and television references. My pop culture is not limited to today though, I was raised on 70's and 80's programming, so sometimes my pop culture is a little outdated.

My long term goals in art involve music. I really want to try to get involved with some sort of band merchandising. This includes t-shirt design, websites, album art, posters, and so on. I got into music and discovered that I had no musical talent, so I want to combine my two passions. I understand that this means collaborative ideas, and I think that is important. It is a way to keep things interesting and challenging. I think in order to accomplish this, Art and Technology is the best route. The field is very open and allows you to incorporate all different genres of art.

a statement

Art/ist/ry

Before issuing a treatise on art, I might entertain the question, am I an artist? On one hand, this question begs the Cartesian assertion about what is demanded to ascertain “I,” and where I [is] located. On the other hand, the question heaves its optimistic lasso into the ethereal discourse of “art,” hoping to apprehend something to brand/ish. Some cultures have no word(s) for “artist,” and, indeed, the very concepts of autonomy and art necessitate particular social girding. To be an artist, one must apparently belong to a culture in which art is conceptualized and in which oneself is situated. In accepting these terms, the simplicity of Cartesian autonomy is recanted, and elusive matter of art has yet to be addressed. Here is the cusp of in/sensibility, the threshold of re-cognition. Here I create what might be called art; here, I AM. Art is the tincture of reason with pensive flirtation, the invocation of proscription, un-certainty, and sublimity. Ultimately, my art—if there is such a thing—is a conceptual chapel in which I explore God and make discursive things as a dialogic engagement of possibility. The products that emerge are emblematic of the autonomous self. They are what they are.

- John Derby

A statement

I create art for many different reasons, not the least of which will be to someday make a living off of it. In terms of my theory or process about making art, I just want to create something beautiful. Everyday people are rushing around and so caught up in their lives, that if I can create a piece that makes them stop and think, then I was successful. I am always trying to expose the little things in life. One prime example is the way I paint. I usually paint from a picture because I believe that the process of copying it is like a filter. A painting, just by its very nature, is more beautiful then a photograph. I think this can also apply to technology based artwork. We use the computer as our brush, and show the world through a technology based filter. I love the duality of art. How it is usually created in an intimate way, with an intimate touch, and yet, we make it to put it on display for all to see. Exposing how we see the world. I also do not like when people try to define art too much. I believe that while an artist can say something, or try and say something, in a piece, it ultimately comes down to how the viewer perceives the work. I like how a single piece of artwork can mean many things to many different people. That is why I create art, to try and influence someone on a personal level.

A statement

When I produce my art there is always a meaning behind my pieces either being a current mood or a past event that made me unhappy or joyous. I like to express myself in a way that I don’t have to voice my feelings out loud but to show my audience how I wanted to interpret my feelings. When making my art I don’t like to give it away where the audience knows exactly what the piece is about. I like to make art which the audience would say “it could be this meaning but what about that”. I don’t like giving away the moods. For instance the most recent video I made was a burning candle with dead rose petals, with a background of a nature scene that was “scattered” and jumpy and all over the place of wilderness. I wanted to represent where my life is right now, in a place where I don’t want to be in ( that’s why I was burning the rose petals) but I have to go through the chaotic world of my life ( the scattered scenery) that seems almost dead ( the rose petals). I wanted to burn those dead cells and find the new cells. I am searching that one area that will make me feel relieved but never get to that point in the video or in my life right now. It’s just a positioned shot of going down a tree trunk that maybe one day I will find my way through this chaos. Doing artwork is a soother, it tranquils me into a place where I feel the most comfortable being in. It just feels right to me.

A statement

Language is our main form of communication but it's impossible to communicate everything through it. With video and sound another level of communication is possible. I hope that my work as an artist will be able to communicate my ideas or feelings about the world or myself by resonating with peoples existing feelings in a sort of base way and then playing with the meaning and boundaries of those feelings in a way that might open their eyes to new possibilities.

James' Statement

Art can not be bad any more than it can be wrong on right. I’ve always cringed when I hear someone say “that’s bad art” or “that’s good art” because the idea of an art piece is not in its ability to be judged by a single person but if by nothing else its popularity. There is such a thing as popular art but being popular does not warrant the label of good, bad or ugly. To some a piece can be pleasing and draw out emotions that would otherwise lay dormant, but never is any art subject to critics. Take for example movie critics and ask yourself do you always agree with them? The beauty of art is that it is a vehicle of expression of the artist who creates it; and in that some can find that emotions within themselves by experiencing it. Bad art? no way just art.

Borris' Statement

I create dances that are personal, both physically and emotionally. I have created dances about contemporary society that reflected the immediacy of what I observed in my daily life. I have examined themes such as fear and death and technology and race. I have explored relationships through the unraveling and revealing of emotions between individuals. I have illuminated private connections through highly charged kinetic interactions. I have pushed the limits of the physical body by investigating virtuosity and physical strength. I have also embraced the visual impact of an effortless gesture or a simple look.



By combining dance with technology such as animation, video and the Internet I am able to define the relationship of my physical body to my virtual presence, enabling me to discover the ways that I exist in both realms.



The hip-hop drumming of composer Jonathan Laine, the screaming guitar of Vernon Reid and the abstract classical compositions of composers Jeffrey Mumford and David Morneau inspire me with their contemporary sounds. I engage in music collaborations with composers who aren't afraid to fuse musical styles and create genre defying compositions.



Dance is most interesting to me when it is informative, engaging and physical. I try to present work that accomplishes these ideas and gives the viewer insight into their lives by revealing the truth of my life.
Boris Willis

Helen's Statement

Helen Chi



I am an artist because I love making something that can be so simple into something so creative. For example, I enjoy taking an ordinary picture and somehow manipulating it—cropping, color, text, graphics, etc.—to add a little more interest, depth, and curiosity into why it is presented in that particular way. Beauty is not the most important factor to my art (it is a plus but not a necessity); rather, I will try to go for the new and fascinating route, such as a gross close-up of an injury or a pile of earwax on a dinner plate. I especially tend to include humor in my creations. Art is fun for me (because I obviously would not be doing art if it were boring), and so I want my artwork to reflect that I had a good time making it. I also want my audience to have an amusing reaction, whether good or bad, when they see my art because then I would know that they were at least intrigued for a moment. But in the end, the values I want to hold true to the most are that I do art for me or at least in my own style, and that I hope I never lose passion for what I do.
I am showing what I call “mug shots” on my blog that I have accumulated through the years. Mug shots are what I call pictures of people who are caught off guard, or not camera-ready. I have many, many mug shots because with a digital camera, I can be shutter button happy and not worry about wasting film. This collection of hilariousness is so simple in the idea yet so incredibly awesome that it will probably make its every victim cry. (Hopefully, they won’t find out about this blog.)

A statement

Some may call it ART, but I call them my hobbies. They are the things I like to do when I get a moment to do what “I” want to do. I may be word playing this or it might be the internal struggle I have of saying (admitting) I am an artist. If I say I am an artist then I have to do something great, right? I have to be good at it. I have to study it and have to know it inside and out. That just sounds like too much work for me. Therefore, I prefer to call it a hobby.

My ART, if I must call it that, is photography. Up until a few years ago, the camera did all the work. I just had to hold the camera steady and push a button. I started “making” my own pictures when I bought my first 35mm SLR camera. For the first time in my life, I was in control. I can now show people what I see. I can capture my interpretation of the world around me. One thing is for sure, no one sees it quite like me.

A statement

My art tries to convey how I see the world, an attempt to portray how things are interpret by my mind and then cleverly presented to the viewer for their interpretation.

A statement

I am an artist because I create. I make things that are me. Unlike mathematics and the sciences, there is no right answer to art; there is only interpretation and creativity. Art can be found in many facets of my life. The most commonly recognized form of art in my life is probably my work as a musician in both vocal and percussive arts. I also step in the world of art with all of my design and 3D modeling projects, usually in engineering applications. The final form that comes to mind at the moment is the work I do in the kitchen. I love to cook, and a well put together meal is in it's own a masterful work of art.

-David Cooke

A statement

I hate writing artist statements; mostly cause I suck at writing but also because I would rather paint one instead, because I can express myself through my art better then any other medium. That is why I create art. I express myself through my best form of communication. I can display my unique imagination and perspective of life with the best of my abilities that cannot be described by just words.

- John Sabbath

A statement

Art is something that comes instinctual to me. It seems to be
instinctual to the rest of the human race as well. It is as
instinctual as language. For some people it seems that there are
ideas for which words are a wholly inadequate means of communication.
These types of people turn to other forms of communication. Body
movements, sounds, and images in pigment (as in my case) supplement a
language that seems incomplete. I am one of these people.
When I make art I am complete person. The act of making brings me
joy. When I go for long periods of time without making art I feel as
if my life is in disarray. Making art brings clarity and contentment,
even when the art is not very "good."