BA, Art (Studio Arts – Design)

meganmpaschke@gmail.com
https://www.meganpaschkedesign.com
@mpaschkedesign
linkedin

Artist Statement

Digital Nostalgia, Aesthetic Culture

Within my work, “Digital Nostalgia, Aesthetic Culture” you will see digitally composited photo collages that highlight various aesthetic subcultures found online and the underlying nostalgia that exists within them. I have always been fascinated by internet aesthetics and how they can evoke specific emotions through different visual elements such as color palettes, composition, subject, and more. Through my research, I have found that one common emotion connects many of these online microcultures: Nostalgia. My work frames these internet aesthetics through two lenses: the modern approach to the subculture, and the historical context that these modern aesthetics express nostalgia for. You will see, for example, a version of grunge photos taken by myself that has influences from both the modern grunge aesthetic you see today as well as the origins of grunge in the 1980s and 90s. In another piece, you will see a cottagecore photo collage with Victorian era influences, evoking the simple-living and pastoral nature of that time. Viewers will have their own individual relationships with nostalgia based on different factors such as age, upbringing, etc., but in viewing my work I hope they are able to reflect and reminisce on the past and how it lives on in present contexts. Nostalgia is such a core element of many internet aesthetics because it promotes a sense of social belonging and connectedness with each other over a shared interest. This powerful emotion is truly important in our lives because it helps inform our past and influences what we want our futures to look like.