Lecture Paper 2

Caitlin Pupich

DM 350 Lecture 2 Paper       

Lecture 2 Paper: Claudia O’Steen

            Claudia O’Steen spends a lot of her time conducting first-hand research on the environment. Furthermore, much of her art is inspired by those that went out into the dangerous realm of the Arctic in order to explore, research, and further understanding of nature and the Earth.  These pioneers of exploration influence and drive much of her work and research.

With a focus on geology and cartology, she took her own expedition through the Arctic circle. During her trip, she collected images, drawings, stones, and colors while using early techniques to map the color of the sky and chart landscapes. She even used early navigation tools to guide her exploration and to help recreate the experiences of the early explorers. She explored certain elements of the environment, such as the magnetic stone, and would later create sketches of the rocks, detailed drawings of the horizon, and a piece of work based off of the buoy, which had a video she took while in the Arctic.

            Later, she took that experience with research, exploration, and landscape to study at the island of Kronstadt. Similar to her previous work, she used variations of scientific research methods to create her art. On the island, which was directly at sea level in Russia, she took measurements of the water each day. This type of research is what people base the concept and measurements of “sea level” off of, and it is used in all measurements with height, even the height of a spacecraft!

            For her students, she wants to emphasize that we can use technology as a tool in artwork, “rather than creating projects around technology”.  Furthermore, as she does with her own work, she wants her students to use history and historical techniques to help form their modern work.  Some of the concepts and projects she covered with her students included looking at the relationship between technology and consciousness, an interactive electronics workshop, and field work that incorporates the research process she is so familiar with.