BA, Art (Studio Arts – Digital Studio Practice)
Certificate in Ethics, Values, and Society
Minor in Philosophy
Artist Statement
Notes on a Habitat: Art and Writing From Milwaukee’s Built Environment is a personal work produced during a period of adaptation. I am interested in how sensing beings relate to new surroundings, and during my final year as an undergraduate student I was able to put this curiosity into action. I forewent renting housing and voluntarily began living out of a vehicle. My newfound reliance on public spaces required me to adapt to my surroundings. This book is the evidence, or residue, of that process.
In this collection, you will find short essays on my experiences adapting to new ways of being—like feeling cozy in institutional spaces yet alienated in domestic ones—as well as digital paintings (made on an iPad) that depict scenes I felt were powerful. Some paintings were motivated by awe and appreciation, others served as a pressure release valve.
More than just an indulgence of my peculiar curiosities, I hope that the contents of this book gently re-sensitize readers to their own surroundings. The more aware and vocal we are about how our environments affect us, the better equipped designers will be to create humane spaces—both physical and digital.
