thesis 1-01, fall 2012

P P rocess presentation, 10‑15‑2012professor Julia Wargaskistudent Julia Jeemin Shim

thesis as an existential crisis

Examining the function of Thesis brought into

question exactly what a 'cumulative' experience at Parsons entails and to what extent I even

feel I can reflect that which I have learned

through a single project.

It also managed to stir a quiet panic

attack brought on by feelings of transition

and uncertainty.

thesis as a mark of change

The ideas of transition and uncertainty led me to consider how thesis as a ‘milestone’ marks a very specific point in our development.

This in turn led me to wonder if Thesis serves as a Parsons student's ‘coming of age’ and how, on a broader scale, we experience numerous moments of coming of age in our lives.

change informed through memory

If we do indeed feel ‘coming of age’ more

than once in our lives, how does a significant memory affect a cur‑rent experience or one to come? How do past

events contextualize the present and future, and

what do we perceive as something that will

inform us versus some‑thing that will not?

In other words, what meaning do we

give to something to make it so resonant to

us later in our lives?

How do we remember things?

Initial questions posed‒What are we doing when we are remembering/looking?

‒Do we see what is already made?

‒Do we see what we expect(ed)?

‒Is experience something we have, or something which has us?

‒What does ‘taking place’ mean?

‒What is realization? Is it voluntary/involuntary?

‒What is memory? Is that voluntary/involuntary?

preface: what i think i know (about thesis) › ch-changes › remembering

Conceptual aimExplore the themes of memory,

meaning, and personal development from various approaches, be they singularly focused, relational, or whole; use a variety of methods

that tie into one cohesive body of work

Personal goals‒ Apply these three (3) aspects of my education:

‒ Make something beautiful

1. researchResearch & data‑analysis

2. printLayout &production

3. web mediaFront end &some coding

thesis: some objectives

relatiVe memory

I think comparison is self‑evident in the word

‘context’, and to give context to something

further implies a rela‑tional act depending on one's receptiveness

to certain information at that point in time.

If that receptiveness is subject to change, then I believe the nature of

remembering is subject to change, too.

Consequently, I think the idea of ‘seeing in

parallax’ applies to memory — in other

words, the meaning and manifestatio of a mem‑

ory is relative to other moments and not fixed to a chronological line.

Seeing in parallaxparallax the difference in the angular position of two stationary points relative to each other from different viewing positions; derived from the Greek word for “alteration”

thesis: some inspirations › parallax theory, or ‘relative memory’

EverywhereNowhereSomewhereAnywhereElsewhereHere

InstantlySuddenlyGraduallySlowlyBarelyHardly

Above BelowOutsideInside

Things that happenedThings that never happenedBoth

groWing pains

Coming‑of‑age novels to me seem to serve as

allegories for almost any individual's growth and as such, refl ect collective experience told through the story of one person.

The coming‑of‑age novelthe bildungsroman a coming‑of‑age story focusing on the psychological and moral growth of a protagonist from youth to adulthood; the goal is maturity, and the protagonist achieves it gradually, with difficulty; typically accepted into society

the kÜnstlerroman an artist’s novel; a narrative about an artist’s growth   to maturity, which often tends to depict a sensitive youth in conflict with societal values; shows a growth of the self

thesis: some inspirations › coming of age, or ‘growing pains’

relationships

The speaker/the listenerParent/child

Inward/outwardIndividual/environment

Reflection/memoryReflection/thinkingMemory/attachmentThinking/meaning

Project proposalI would like to create a multimedia exploration of important

memories that have lasted with or suddenly struck people. I want to examine common threads and make visual experiments that revolve around the idea of collective experience but also give

proper gravity to the individual.

As a reflection of how memory shapes personal experience and the theme of ‘coming of age,’ I want to focus on the relationship of the

mentee/mentor (or child/guardian) as a ‘case study,’ of sorts, for the broader relationship between the individual and his/her world.

I plan to do this by soliciting memorable advice from strangers, hopefully through a print and web campaign. I would like to use

this aggregated information to create visual and textual explorations to see if I can glean universality from the personal.

thesis: main objective

1. research

Research and curation via survey system

2. print

Zine or artbook form; foldout posters, outreach collateral

3. web media

Online zine; online outreach; parallax scrolling

Campaign With these three (3) components:

frank Warren

“Post Secret.” PostSecret.com 15 Oct. 2012. 15 Oct. 2012.

thesis: experimental and visual precedents

Jonathan harris

sep kamVar

“We Feel Fine.” WeFeelFine.org15 Oct. 2012. 15 Oct. 2012.

nicholas felton

“Annual Reports.” Feltron.com

15 Oct. 2012. 15 Oct. 2012.

thesis: experimental and visual precedents

ergodic literature

In no particular order—

House of LeavesCyber textRaw Shark TextsMallarméetcetera

research 1. Writing2. Aesthetic3. Conceptual

outreach 1. Project website2. Handouts/mail/etc.

data-gathering 1. Receipt of submissions

analysis 1. Compiling

production i1. Layout of print and web

production ii1. Print production2. Web publishing3. ‘Space’

thesis: tentative timeline