Capstone Project 

I am studying the philosophies, art, and movements inspired by advancing technologies in today’s society to find out how to translate these ideas into four paintings depicting futures of my imagination in order to help my readers better understand how technology shapes perceptions of themselves and the future of society.

For my capstone project I am researching the different philosophies and ideas people have about technology and the digital revolution so I can explore different futures this society can lead to. With technology continuing to become a ubiquitous force in our world, many theories have evolved about the fate of our culture, our state as human beings, and society as whole. I want to create four paintings of ‘futures’ that will each depict a different world inspired by these ideas.

The first part of this project will be the research. I will begin by researching multiple perspectives on the future as determined by technological influences. Then from these ideas I will narrow down the areas of focus for each piece I plan on doing. This is the first big challenge of this project. With all the works and knowledge already out there, there are so many possibilities and directions to go in that it will be hard to gather all the information and narrow them down. Once I have brainstormed different ideas and found the most solid topics of study, I will do in depth research on these ideas. I will study the effect of technology in each particular view, the state of the human being and the advancement of culture, physical and possibly political structures. I am also planning on drawing inspiration from literature, quotes, science fiction, films, etc.

The most challenging part of this capstone project will be planning out each of the paintings. I will have to find a way to translate the views and ideas I have explored into a meaningful, visually stimulating art piece. I plan to devote a lot of time into imagining and creating each of these ‘futures’. I will take many factors into consideration, for instance, the type of government that is in place or if there are other powers, the state of the human being, etc. when planning out the way the world looks, what structures or buildings are in place, if it will be very clear what type of city it is or if it will be more abstract. If I am following the line of thought that technology will lead to destructive military developments and thrust the world into a post-apocalyptic state from nuclear warfare, I might plan out the space on the canvas to look empty, with muted colors to reflect the lack of spirit in the world. Or I could paint the whole piece in a blurred manner similar to the effect of watercolor to give an aesthetic representation of feeling lost. On the other hand, if I wanted to depict a utopian society, it would most likely be sustainable so there would be a fusion of technology well blended with nature. The lines would be very clean, outlining clear forms. The colors I used would be more vibrant shades.

The media will depend on the overall atmosphere and the ideals of the ‘futures’ I design. The paintings will most likely be acrylic on canvas. I have some experience with pencil drawings and painting with acrylics so hopefully I will be able to accurately paint what I envision in my head, but I would also be interested in using other mediums such as pen and ink on paper or watercolor if it fit the subject better. I might also incorporate other materials such as wires into the piece if it helped represent the world it was creating. If I chose to go in a more abstract route, it would be more challenging to trust my own instincts, since I do not have experience in depicting something completely nonconcrete. As of now I envision all of the paintings to be of equal shape and size to emphasize that I am depicting different perspectives that are about the same time in the future and society. It could also flow in a progression from a utopia to a dystopia, but these are all decisions that will be made in the later stages of planning. I will present these paintings for about a week in a joint exhibition with a few other capstone projects. It will also be interesting to see the space and plan out the exhibition accordingly.

My target audience would be people who are interested in these philosophies, including young adults since they might have a similar mindset to my own ideas. However, I hope that the final result will ultimately appeal to anyone who enjoys thinking about the advancement technology, and it’s effect on the world, or in general people who enjoy visual art. Many people still see technology as a new entity that is detached from other elements of society, especially nature, but it has already become the foundation of our culture and will only continue to weave its webs into the base of our physical and philosophical structure. I hope that through this project I can explore the interconnectedness of art, technology, human nature, nature and perception to discover new ideas and new ways to perceive the future in an artistic expression.

 

Leave a Reply