Perspective of the World

Overall view of the series.

Seeds of Perspective is a series of photographs showing a black surface scattered with points of colored light. The dots show 3D objects at first then the view point shifts. Each subsequent picture zooms in on a center light point. Slowly it becomes clear that the ‘center light point’ is a tiny bead glowing with color from the light behind it. Looking back on all the images it becomes clear that each point of light is a bead carefully set to create an illusory effect.

The 3 point perspective.

This artwork tricks the viewers eye. The artwork is created using paper and seed beads. An awl is used to perforate the paper’s surface in a predetermined pattern, then the beads are placed and glued in the holes. When held up against a backing of natural light, the beads let through the light and appear to glow.

A close up of a bead in the sphere

This work meant as a reflection on values and assumptions. Each opinion and fact we hear, we assign value to in accordance with our own perspective of the world. These pieces of information, whether true or false, fact or opinion, statement or question, all are equal, like the surface of the paper. We, as individuals, value some more than others based entirely on our situation; holding closer those we agree with and push away those that challenge our perspectives. This is shown in how on a flat, 2D surface, the beads appear to create a 3D object with certain surfaces closer to the view than other. In this way the piece expresses how we create an individual view of the world out of the same, equal information. Seeds of Perspective brings to light these values by questioning our first assumptions, that the objects are not 3D but rather 2D. It challenges our first reactions and changes our perspective.

Spinning Ideas

Alignment

A still of the video.

This is an artwork that comments on the idea of viewer perception and the concept of social and ideological alignment of individuals in our daily lives.

The clock face shown at a different angle with a clear display of the hand details.

Full Video

Wood, metal, 2019. This was made for the class, Advanced Studio.

A close up of the wood carving on the clock face.

A Community

Of Individuals

Full view of the entire piece, hinting at the threads inside.

A project around the idea of individuals as the building blocks of a community but note being defined by that community.

A shot of the inside of the work with a focus on the back of the drawings.

Megan took reference photographs of members of the college community posed as defined them in that moment. From these where drawn the sixteen images.

A photo of one of the final drawings.

The black thread in the center represents the connections that create a community; running from each person and intersecting here and there with others.

A detail shot of the paper.

Kozo paper, wood, glue, methylcellulose, ink, black thread, 2019. This was made for the class, Advanced Studio.

An angled downwards view of the piece from another side.

Ordinary Artifects

Perceptions

Full view of the work as the casts are being split apart, 2018.

An experimental piece that developed through several stages. First from the idea of preservation. Of particular interest was the dynamic of perserving the natural world in an artificial container (a plastic bag) and the question of is perservation acceptable if it removes the object from sight and ultimately destroys it?

Image of a fallen cast bag, 2018.

This went further, by challenging the audience to if they trust the labels, as they very well could be false. Exactly how much trust does a viewer give the artist and how much should they?

In progress shot during the labeling stage of the project, 2018.

On a tangential topic, trust is related to the idea of truth. This connects back to a philosophy question concerning art and how much truth does art reflect and how much distortion. Aristotle sums this nicely when he wr​ote, “The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.” So what is truth in art, particularly in a piece that challenges perceptions?

Impression of the feather after the plaster was split open, 2018.

The work developed further when the casts were broken open to determine if there was an object, what object, and what its condition was.

View of one of the pieces on a shelf, 2018.

Plaster, black acrylic paint, and natural items (leaves, feathers, flowers, berries, etc), 2018. This was made for the class, Ordinary Artifacts.