Camp Create

Author/Artist Name

Lyle SmithFollow

Files

Academic Level at Time of Creation

Senior

Date of Creation

Spring 4-12-2024

Artist Statement

In life, there are certain feelings and emotions that are better conveyed through art than words alone. Using media such as graphic design and photography, I strive to organize information in a unique and thought-provoking way, and convey emotion through the elements of art and design. In art, I draw from my own experiences and create a time and place where I can ask questions without being interrupted. In design, I combine form and function, and organize elements in a way that is simultaneously logical and visually appealing. I am creating cohesion between photography and graphic design. In short, if I can give people a reason to look at my work in the first place, then I can provoke them to think and care about what I’m saying.

Creating my first photo book required dissection of my photography to find the through line across the compositions. What I found, in this reflection, was a visual record of the times where I felt comfortable to frame life through my lens. Through elements such as leading lines, geometric shapes, and the juxtaposition of man-made and natural forms, I organize my compositions. Most of these photographs are created as I walk outdoors, which is a meditative time to reflect on my thoughts and feelings. Time and space are important elements in my work, and my subject matter reflects that. Man-made forms are controlled, and tied to a time and context, whereas nature is timeless and ultimately uncontrollable. Both are grounding in different ways. With the exception of my twin brother, there are no human figures in this photo book. I choose not to photograph human figures because my photographs are created in a private, solitary space. After gaining time and space from my compositions, I can share them with others. My artistic practice serves as a conduit for introspection, inviting viewers to embark on a visual journey where meaning intertwines with form, and emotion finds expression in the language of design and photography. I aspire to not only captivate but also provoke contemplation and resonance in those who engage with it.

In my work, I’m attracted to bright and saturated colors, leading lines, bold use of negative space, creating symmetry and juxtaposing elements, creating balance and movement, finding and creating patterns, and creating texture and depth in digital works. I am fascinated with the way that the treatment of type in particular can affect the meaning of what is being said. In graphic design, drawing the eye of the viewer to the text in a composition is important to me. In my creative process, I’m inspired by the forms, colors, and other elements of design I see around me in everyday life, from the timeless organic forms found in nature, to architecture, interior design, automotive design, consumer electronics, music packaging, product packaging, print ads, and the work of photographers that I have found such as William Eggleston, Uta Barth, and Douglas McCulloh. William Eggleston uses color, type, and automobiles as subjects in a way that resonates with me. Uta Barth uses light and abstraction to create reflective pieces in a way I explore in my work. Douglas McCulloh’s formulaic way of creating chance occurrences to facilitate his work deeply resonates with me. In conclusion, I like to intertwine graphic design and photography to create work that captivates and provokes resonance in those who engage with it.

Advisor/Mentor

Jim Bryant

Description

This exhibit was the result of a branding project that I did in my Graphic Design 6 and 7 classes. The brand was for an art-themed summer camp called Camp Create. This is a list of what was included in the final show:

(2 of each) Mixed media pieces; cardboard box, disposable camera, wooden key tags, t-shirts, CDs, sunscreen tubes

Digital work: Instagram ad mockups

Physical work: 9 Prints on Photo Tex photographic paper, trifold brochures

Vinyl logo

Photo Credit

Myself

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

Recommended Citation

Smith, Lyle, "Camp Create" (2024). B.F.A. Practicum Exhibition (ART 498). 134.
https://digitalcommons.murraystate.edu/art498/134