SENIOR EXHIBITION PROPOSAL

SENIOR EXHIBITION PROPOSAL
                            Part One: Conceptual Framework & Influence

Visual artists provoke viewers to respond to their work’s content through various formal strategies that
relate to the conceptual concerns. But, in order for the artist to effectively convey their ideas, they must
start from a coherent and authentic foundation. Establishing this primary framework is a fundamental first
step. Sometimes this process begins with a series of questions. What/who is my work in conversation with?
Why do I do what I do? What am I repeatedly drawn to? What/how might my work contribute to the local
or global community?

PROMPT A
Keeping in mind that you will be engaging with your content for a prolonged period, what ideas will sustain
your engaged, enthusiastic interest for a long-term project, culminating in a coherent body of work? As an
artist, what ideas/approaches are you interested in (humor, irony, activism, beauty, etc.)? What do you want
to communicate to your viewers through your work?

        As a Vietnamese American individual born from a Vietnamese Buddhist family, I became heavily
influenced by my family’s philosophies and teachings, yet I still had questions regarding who I am and where
I came from. For my overall conceptual framework, I intend to delve into my background to learn more
about my culture, family history, language, and religion to better understand myself and possibly integrate
theories of postcolonialism, semiotics, and time, memory, and archive. Regarding time, memory, and
archive, I wish to dive into the past to capture the historical aspects of ancestral history that made me what
I am now. My mother for example, occasionally told stories of her childhood in the countryside in Vietnam
along with the sacrifices my grandpa made to allow his family to eventually migrate and live a peaceful life
in America. Besides learning about Vietnam, I have always been interested in studying other Eastern
countries such as Japan, China, and Korea, especially since all these countries historically impacted one
another at some point. China’s dynasties greatly influenced Japan’s culture and Korea’s art and religion for
over hundreds of years while India contributed to the spread of Buddhism through Tibet then eventually to
China; the same can be said for Vietnam as well. Unfortunately, because of Western intrusion beginning in
the mid-1850s, these Eastern countries were forced to abide to European powers and eventually adapt. A
explain how it might impact your emerging practice. In addition to the three visual artists, your written
response may also make note of artists working in earlier periods, writers, activists, philosophers and other
individuals or works that are strong influences, if relevant and necessary (artist working in earlier periods
can be included in PowerPoint if particularly relevant to your work.)

        Three contemporary artists that have influenced my practice are Nobuyoshi Araki, Yinka Shonibare,
and Renee Cox. In Photography II, I was required to research a contemporary artist of my choice and
discovered Nobuyoshi Araki, an innovative and controversial Japanese photographer known to produce
provocative images. Initially, I was interested in Araki’s background as a Japanese individual, yet the artist’s
central themes of eroticism and death further enticed me to investigate his works. The concepts I worked
with regarding my own photographic works revolved around my interest in love and intimacy, hence my
choice to analyze Araki and his ideas. As a Tokyo-based photographer, Araki tends to capture images of
female bodies, flowers, faces, Tokyo street scenes, and animals. He plays with notions of time by
manipulating the date of the photos taken and often utilizes offset printing to blur fact and fiction. Offset
printing is a process where the ink is transferred from a plate like aluminum to a rubber blanket then to a

printing surface like paper. Araki claims to transgress boundaries of life and death, taking images in different
places like a car, viewing the outside and inside of the world distinctively. This notion influences me to think
about transcendence and the spiritual world beyond, again alluding to Buddhist ideas. Hopefully, my
emerging practice may integrate Araki’s influences, by better opening myself up to my audience and
uncovering cultural aspects not common to the eye.
         Yinka Shonibare was another contemporary artist I recently researched for Contemporary Art &
Theory. Shonibare is a British-Nigerian artist who aims to explore his own cultural identity and political and
social histories regarding globalization through integrating theories of colonialism, postcolonialism,
hybridity, multiculturalism, and semiotics. The artist concerns himself with deconstructing stereotypes of
Black and African people, as well as overall traditional constructions of race, class, gender, and sexuality.
Shonibare’s works tend to be visually playful, exaggerating racial stereotypes as a sort of parody by assuming
the role as an English gentleman of the eighteenth century or decorating his installations and sculptures
with “African” fabric or rather Dutch wax, a material based on Indonesian batik. In a sense, Shonibare’s
works correlate with Jean Baudrillard’s theories of the hyperreal, as the artist contrasts the time periods of
present versus past with his realistic portrayals of the people and rooms and outfits designed. Through
researching the artist, I realized Shonibare’s approach strongly resonated with my digital montage, Oriental
Paradise, in which I project Western perspectives onto the Orient, creating an idealized and cliché
“paradise.” This idea also became heavily inspired by Edward Said’s definition of Orientalism where he
claims the West, or those unfamiliar, depict or imitate aspects of the Eastern world from their own views. I
believe Shonibare may be one of the artists who inspires me to develop works surrounding notions of
identity whilst questioning assumptions.
         The last influential visual artist who inspired me and my practices would be Renee Cox. I discovered
Cox through her work titled Yo Mama’s Last Supper, a controversial piece where she poses naked as Jesus
Christ surrounded by twelve fully clothed male disciples. In this work, Cox also explored her own identity,
questioning why in Catholic Cathedrals she had not seen an image of God in various art forms resemble
anything like herself. As someone who is part of the feminist movement, Cox utilized her body in her works
to criticize racist and sexist views as well as demonstrate concern for social issues. She would re-create
religious imageries such as with Leonardo Da Vinci’s The Last Supper and Michelangelo's David and Pieta, to
possess disturbing elements or contemporary Black bodies.

(Slides 5-7): Include 3 slides of distinct works by contemporary artists (PLEASE NOTE: The artists you include should
have significant, professional exhibition records at highly regarded venues - major museums or well-known
contemporary art spaces).

                                       Part Two: Media and Imagery

As you begin to explore your ideas in the studio, consider which materials and processes might best
communicate the ideas you’ve outlined above. Be particularly mindful of media and materials with which
you have some level of familiarity. In other words, this is not the best moment to begin figuring out how
to work with an entirely new medium or process.

PROMPT C
Spend time thinking about pieces you created during the last three years that you were really pleased with
or which gained attention from your peers or your professors. What was it about those works that made
them successful? Are these works that may give you an idea of what direction you’d like to take during your
capstone year? Why?

The first piece I became really pleased with was my final studio exercise in Contemporary Art &
Theory. Going above and beyond my usual practice, I experimented with animation, specifically GIFs to work
with multiple theories including time, memory, archive, semiotics, aura/representation, and
authorship/originality. My object depicted was a Dragon that resonated with my conceptual framework of
how pandemics affect people psychologically. The infinite loop portrays timelessness where the individual
becomes trapped in their own conceived dystopia, the dragon forever feeding off their paranoia. According
to my peers, I successfully demonstrated a sense of “overwhelmingness” an aspect frequent in pandemics
due to the heavy number of images and flashing colors. Combining real and fictional images along with the
constant movement further distorts the difference between authenticity versus virtuality. I also dealt with
concepts of originality, as the manipulation of images poses a question on the validity of the author as well
as the work itself; what belongs to what exactly.) Interestingly, I realize from this work that I often input
religious connotations such as the dragon head, or rather the skull representing Baphomet, a deity
associated with the “Sabbatic goat,” incorporated into occult traditions like Satanism. I may somewhat
translate this work toward the direction of my capstone year, yet I do not believe I desire to go this extreme.
        In Graphic Design I, I created a digital zine utilizing both Photoshop and Illustrator. My zine acted as
a self-help book that focused on helping students and professors better endure the current global
pandemic. With previous experience making zines from the course, The Artist’s Book, I developed an
informative yet colorful series, stepping out of the traditional making of zines by solely utilizing digital
technology. Most of the images were appropriated from online sources, while some were personally made
such as the simplistic representation of the Corona virus and the bright simplistic landscape containing
empowering quotes. The work overall is meant to connect with those who view my zines as a way to
sympathize with their dilemma. I chose this work as a possible inspiration toward the direction I may take
for my capstone year because of the digital medium I worked with along with the educational aspect it
provides in a strong cultural sense. The cover page for one alludes to Buddhist’s ideas of achieving
enlightenment through meditation and finding peace in oneself. The full spread page with the bright
landscape also alludes to meditative walking where one frees their mind and appreciate the world around
them. I may establish a booklet in the future that possesses intriguing cultural elements such as my self-
help book.
        The final piece I will discuss is my final artist’s book project. All made by hand, the sculptural “book”
mimics a generic game console. The exterior of the square box is enveloped in black and white images of
games I play whilst the interior is decorated in screen-printed geometric silver patterns on black. Inside the
box there are four quadrants, each with their own mini handcrafted books that illustrate my confrontation
toward gaming addiction. When the box is empty, there are typed rhymes printed on the bottoms of each
square that question my worth or the worth of my games. Other than the box, I painted and re-designed
the casing for my DS cartridges to look like a game controller. It can be open, again revealing text that
confronts reality over virtual reality. I took all that I learned in The Artist’s Book course and incorporated
these techniques into the final project. Gaming addiction is a huge issue prevalent in many countries,
especially Eastern countries like China. Though I may not create another book like this in the future, the
concept included specific notions of identity which I would like to further explore.

(Slides 8-10): Include 3 slides demonstrating your strongest work produced over the last 3 years.

SENIOR EXHIBITION PROPOSAL (Continued)

PROMPT D

Your written response should reflect upon the following: Considering your strongest works and the
conceptual framework you’ve developed; think about what materials you are likely to employ in your
capstone project. Will you engage in painting, printmaking, mixed media, sculpture, photography, video,
drawing or some combination of these? Your response should include a rationale for your intended use of
particular media/approaches.

            The materials I will most likely employ in my capstone project are photography, digital imaging,
    painting, and drawing. Digital media techniques are incorporated into many of my past works.
    Appropriating imagery has also become a regular aspect of my practice as I am able to blend, transform,
    and reconceptualize the content within pre-existing images that circulate as part of our vast visual realm.
            Utilizing digital art for me is a way to demonstrate a practice I have been refining. With previous
    knowledge in traditional work, I build upon conventional means to produce a new kind of reality, again
    combining an abstract idea with technical experience and observation to create distinctions between
    fact and fiction. I am also interested in working with more traditional mediums such as painting and
    drawing, potentially incorporating Sumi-e ink to demonstrate cultural practices like calligraphy. The
    painterly strokes and textures provide a sense of nostalgia, a remembrance of the Orient. Pencil drawing
    was one of the first mediums I became adept in. The pencil provides a timeless and historical imprint
    possible of referring to various timelines, similar to painting or Sumi-e ink. The harmonization of digital
    and traditional mediums results in a contemporary search of a historical past, again combining present
    identity with a developing culture.

(Slides 11-12): Include 2 slides demonstrating your competency in particular media you plan to incorporate into
your capstone.

                                         Part Three: Current Work
PROMPT E
Select two images of your strongest current work and describe how these works connect with your
conceptual framework and detail their strengths in communicating those ideas, as well as aspects you
intend to further develop. How might you extend this work?

      The two images I selected as my strongest works are my self-portrait designed in Illustrator and my
pastiche poster designed in Photoshop. Both projects resulted from my experience and education in graphic
design, an attempt to communicate ideas into visuals I am passionate about. My self-portrait strongly
reflects myself as a Vietnamese Buddhist. I dressed myself in a purple Vietnamese long dress (also known
as áo dài), a national garment, and a turban called khăn vấn which is popularly worn by Vietnamese brides.
The turban resembles the sun, symbolizing the kind of sun seen resting behind the buddha’s head as a sign
of enlightenment. As someone who is quarter Chinese, I added other small details such as the red eyeliner
and the flower tattoo imprinted on my forehead. The forehead decoration, or “huadian” alluded to a story
about Princess Shouyang, who had a plum blossom land on her forehead. It became popular in the Tang
and Song dynasty as many ladies admired the look, imitating the design with makeup. These elements
overall connect strongly to my current conceptual framework of identity and theories aforementioned.
Recently I have also become quite infatuated with ancient Chinese/Japanese and European nobilities as I
love learning about their lifestyle, fashion, and architecture at the time.
            My second piece speaks against Asian stereotypes, especially the prejudice against women
learned from erroneous sources such as Hollywood movies. According to a bit of research, Asian women
are perceived (from foreign eyes) as docile beings or sexual predators. The image utilized is that of a

Vietnamese woman dressed in a traditional long dress, yet her face is shadowed by her conical hat. I
exploited the shadowed aspect to create an anonymous individual vulnerable to judgement though almost
threatening. The grungy text screams “WE ARE NOT WHO YOU THINK WE ARE” including myself and other
Vietnamese or Asian women who may be impacted by such stereotypes. The crumpled newspaper speaks
another language that almost offends the image as it does not depict the Vietnamese language. Again, this
piece speaks about identity and the exploration of a personal culture which strongly connected with
theories of postcolonialism as well as time, memory, and archive.
             In both Photography II and Contemporary Art & Theory, I produced artworks that
reconceptualized religious connotations that fit with my conceptual frameworks while utilizing my
body. Though I do not intend to disrespect religion itself, I mean to use what I understand and arrange
them with my own ideas. The work of Renee Cox and its reference to the feminist writing of bell hooks
encouraged me to display my body and thoughts without shame, to display the beauty and truth in
front of an audience unafraid. With my new emerging conceptual framework, I hope to courageously
present myself and my culture in numerous ways, perhaps incorporating Buddhist practices. I also
digitally created a poster that fought against Asian stereotypes, especially with Asian women thought to
be either sexual predators or docile playthings. I hope to continue illustrating these concepts for my
current developing framework as these are one of the many ways I may speak about myself and the
culture. I intend to perhaps further speak upon the issues Vietnam possesses as well as insert myself in
the reality rather than a drawing. The works may be further extended to explore (travel to) Vietnam
itself if possible or even dress myself in the traditional attire in a modern world.

(Slides 13-15): Include 2 slides of current work in keeping with the conceptual framework defined above.

                                             Part Four: Research

Research for a visual artist can take many forms and serves as a means of locating material to help your
ideas develop. A good start for researching is to make a list of keywords for yourself that you can use to
search on-line contemporary arts journals and databases, etc. Your research might also necessitate
engaging with content from other disciplines such as the sciences or the humanities in order to gain a fuller
comprehension of information that is particularly technical, conceptual, cultural, political, etc. This mode of
research may necessitate more pointed keywords and could begin with a basic Internet search, followed by
a more thorough look at library databases.

PROMPT F
Please begin to define your research agenda and indicate how each area/item might contribute to your
work. Before you begin this process of building a new body of work, consider which disciplines and ideas
you need to research. Your written response should detail resources you intend to engage with in your
research (and why), whereas the slides need only include brief, bibliographic data and/or a listing of
intended research areas.

       I plan to minor in Asian Studies starting in the Spring 2021 semester to further learn about general
Asian history and culture. Coursework in this minor will certainly connect with my capstone project goals,
leading me to research materials relevant to my project. Fortunately, I also know a professor who is

knowledgeable in Asian studies named Dr. Yao, my previous RCC professor, who taught about the history
of Chinese Youth (originating from the Mao era). Talking to professors like Dr. Yao may help lead me to find
unique scholarly articles connected with my content. I believe even personally communicating with the
professors themselves about their adventures from their origin country to here may also be helpful, learning
from a special point of view. The minor courses require me to learn new languages, either Chinese,
Japanese, Arabic, or Hebrew, and study the history, culture (including specific religions like Buddhism), and
economy. I also hope to interview my family about their history, how they arrived in America, and their
lifestyle in Vietnam. Travelling abroad is something I hope to do as I believe I will gain much more experience
learning from the source. However, if not possible, I may attempt to reflect my experiences somewhere
“similar” and nearby, perhaps even uncovering evidence of Orientalism or an “Americanized lifestyle” in
these parts.

(Slides 16-18) Include 2-3 slides indicating initial resources you might consider (a list of citations, screenshots of misc.
items such as websites, etc.).

Junior Portfolio Review
          Tracy Lam

Mariko Mori, Pure Land

Book written by Edward Said in which he establishes a new meaning for
                          “Orientialism.”

An exhibition catalog that profiles an
                                                                                                                  exhibition titled Archive Fever curated by
Francisco Goya, The Sleep of Reason   Yinka Shonibare, The Sleep of Reason    Essay by Jean Baudrillard which                   Okwui Enwezor
        Produces Monsters                 Produces Monsters (Africa)           discusses about the concept of
                                                                             hyperrealism (coined by the author
                                                                                          himself).

Inkjet Print, 12 in (h) x 17 in (w), 2018

Digital Image, dimensions variable, 2020
                                           Digital Image, dimensions variable, 2020

Nobuyoshi Araki, Kinbaku (Bondage)   Nobuyoshi Araki, Erotos

Yinka Shonibare, Party Time: Re-imagine America

Renée Cox, Yo Mama's Last Supper

GIF, digital image, dimensions variable, 2020

Inkjet Print, 9 in (h) x 6 in (w), 1-10, 2020

Cardboard, printing paper, typewriting ink, construction paper, cartridge holder, craft foam, letterpress prints, game cartridge, pencil, tape, glue, handmade paper, plastic
string, glue, yarn, pen, outer box, 2 1/8 in (h) x 6 in (w) x 6 in (d); DS cartridge case, 1/2 in (h) x 4 1/8 in (w) x 2 1/2 in (d); star accordion book, 2 1/2 in (h) x 2 1/2 in (w);
    twin square accordion books, 2 1/2 in (h) x 2 in (w); handmade paper booklet, 3 in (h) x 2 1/2 in (w); origami box, 1 7/16 in (h) x 2 3/4 in (w) x 2 3/4 in (d), 2019

Inkjet Print, 3 in (h) x 5 in (w), 2020   Inkjet Print, 12 in (h) x 17 in (w), 2020

Digital Drawing, dimensions variable, 2020   Sumi-e Ink On Paper, 18 in (h) x 24 in (w), 2019

Inkjet Print, 15 in (h) x 11 in (w), 2020

Inkjet Print, 24 in (h) x 18 in (w), 2020

Planning to minor in
 Asian studies starting
   next semester for
conceptual framework.
  Image shows minor
   course description

Other options on researching conceptual framework such as reading and
          finding scholarly articles on Olin Library Database.