Lauren's statement

I make art because I love taking something from my mind, that's only an idea and making it a tangible object that others can interact with. Art is my way to connect with people.

Doug's statement

I feel art is not just an embodiment of the artist, but actually a part of their subconscious. While sometimes artists go into projects wanting to tell a story about their piece, sometimes their piece tells a story about them that they were unaware of. Artists don’t just make the art, the art makes the artists. That is what I want from my art. I want it to tell me something about myself that I was unaware of or not thinking of at the time of creation. A past love? A future desire? Yesterday’s mistake? Tomorrow’s hope? That is what art does. It goes deeper than what the artist intends, and that is what makes it so beautiful.

Ed's statement

Art is as natural as science. One cannot go about their everyday without seeing
both of these. Throughout my journey in film and art the most intimidating thing to me
was the equipment/hardware peers had owned. Working simple has restricted me to let
art happen to myself rather than me happen to art. It becomes a tone/presence that you
can tap into and learn how to ride and steer in a particular direction. A major killer of
great ideas is overthinking. The art evaporates and the idea gets lost and tangled.

The tone of art carries on throughout you . Just because I classify myself as a
filmmaker does not restrict me from other media. I like to have a constant art project
other than film that is strictly for me. It’s like an artist’s punching bag. You can’t lose to a
punching and you can’t mess up on your personal art project. It’s refreshing and opens up
a tone of creative doors that usually bring ideas to the film platform that I can run with.

Everything will get in tune if you allow art to happen. Sometimes it’s not going
take the same route you’ll want to take and that is when you start making some pretty
good shit.

Corrie's statement

To me, the role of the artist is to create the question; the role of my 

audience is to come up with an answer, and each answer will be exceptionally 

unique to each viewer who chooses to engage.

I ask myself, “Why are people so caught up in the amassing of material 

possessions?” “What is motivating people to believe that the accumulation of 

belongings can somehow enhance their overall lifestyle?” “Why do we put so 

much emphasis on looking a certain way?” 

I begin with questions like these and choose mediums such as 

photography, video and posters to create striking imagery according to my 

concept. For example, in a recent piece I used design and digital manipulation of 

photography to create a line of advertisements for fake products that promise to 

enhance your life simply by making you look physically flawless. With these 

posters, I want my audience to consider what they think they can gain just by 

looking different, or “better”.

My work asks questions about identity and societal influence on human 

beings, and takes a look into what people put their worth in. I choose to work with 

photo and video because of the sort of irony it poses as it contrasts the negative 

effects of media influence, many of which comes to the viewer by way of 

television and movies. In other words, the presentation of my ideas will be in the 

same form of the object of ridicule. Primarily a digital artist, my work exists largely 

as photography and video. These particular mediums allow me to record material 

from real life and manipulate it in a way that makes my viewers rethink what they 

already know, to take a critical look at the world around them, reflect and look 

inward. I want to make the implicit be explicit, to take what I see around me and 

expose it for what it really is. Ironically, viewers will be influenced by what they 

see in my videos and imagery, which is criticizing how much we are influenced 

by what we see.

No person is entirely satisfied with their appearances, and our society 

seems to make people, especially young women, extremely susceptible to 

placing a high value on looks and bear far too much weight on the minor flaws. 

With this in mind, I have chosen a process which I believe will encapsulate the 

shared hopes of people to be visually flawless. My goal is to tap into the viewer’s 

deeper cravings, to show them that we all share an overwhelming and innate 

desire to be desired. Being constantly bombarded with commercials, magazines, 

television, and other forms of media, we are trapped by these unrealistic 

expectations. There is a reason that trends and what is perceived as attractive 

are constantly changing – they can never be satisfied, and we keep having to go 

back to them. I hope that my work will make people realize that there are other 

sources of worth apart from appearances and possessions.

Akasha's statement

The thing that makes me an artist is I love seeing and making new things. I want to make

films/movies that make people think, and making a difference in their lives. Making positive but

real movies to inspire real people that are struggling with certain things to keeping going and do

things that make you happy.

I am going to be the best me I can be a director, producer, and editor.

Lauren's statement

I make art because I am not good at science and even worse at math.

Gian's statement

Without art, my mind loops endlessly into itself until I'm sad and lost. It allows me to take my mind out of the endless echo chamber of my skull and put it somewhere.

I'm drawn to painting because it can most purely reflect my thoughts. With paint you can illustrate concepts in full vibrancy, with texture and depth to boot. Mediums like video and photo largely limit you within the realm of the physical world. Animation comes close, but no individual frame (in any sane person's animation) will ever be able to capture the time, effort, and aura of an individual painting.

Paintings can capture the essence- the physical, psychological spirit- of existence. Owning a quality painting is like having a slab of nature, one that peeks behind the veil of reality and into a higher plane of consciousness.

I really want to be a painter.

Andy's statement

I create art in order to view the world in a way I never could through my own eyes.  Creating art also enables me to feel emotions that sometimes the normal person do not know exist, until they can remove themselves and view these situations from another medium.

Eric's statement

Art has been a constant source of solace since I was very young. When I was 11 years old, I discovered the ability that art (specifically film) had to “transport” me. Film has a natural ability to take its viewers away from their problems. When I was 15, it finally dawned on me that there is a deeper meaning to film. Everything that happens onscreen is a direct result of choices made on behalf of a director, producer, writer, etc. In the past 5 years, as I have been writing and filming my own material, film has become a way for me to navigate issues that are difficult for me to process. Struggles with religion, politics, romance, death (just to name a few) become less scary and less confusing through an artistic lens. Taking a world of chaos and ordering it in a way that makes sense to me provides a therapeutic outlet, gives me a certain sense of peace, and lets others get a better grasp on who I am as a person and as an artist. ​

Sam's statement

I like to make art because I want to explore the ways in which old and new technologies affect our outlook.

Gabby Statement

Over this term I have noticed that my work has changed in the last year. My artwork is turning for a new view point from being an internal look on how i view society too a view on the social and cultural issues that we all deal with as people.  The proposed dream, of a fairy tale life that doesn't exist but rather is impossible to achieve. I plan on continuing my work on documentary like film on hard times, issues, and celebrations in the everyday lives of those around me.