POSITION PAPER : DAAN KUYPER
Daan Kuyper Graphic Design 3rd Year
My craft is one based on social issues. These social issues I don't try and solve for I think this is impossible. However I try to evoke conversations with my work which serve as a vehicle for the initiation of a conversation which will evolve the social issues into something more positive or even the attitude towards the issue.
My craft also involves a tone of humor which I find to be the best tool in the easing in to social issues. I also like to use fabric and technology in one go. These wearable technologies are something that in a social construct can be very influential into creating a conversation. Using light is also something I very much like to participate in. Light is something that can be subtle and intense. Light can also be very impactful in the right context and without any words or description. For example in my final project of the 3rd year major I tried to use light in a way to make a visual experience that is pleasant for people with alzheimer.
I don't think there are very clear borders in my practice. I think the border are set by the audience and myself. I think it changes with the audience and with myself. However I think that the future of my practice I will try to find new ways to give visual experiences that are inciting for people to think and converse about social problems. This aspect of visual experiences are something I find very interesting and I see myself expanding this with newer technologies such as VR/AR, Drones and I would really like to work more with digital programs such as Adobe After Effects.
As the 39th president of the United States one's said. "We become not a melting pot but a beautiful mosaic. Different people, different beliefs, different yearnings, different hopes, different dreams." I think if you know this and believe in this you could look at social issues with a more honest opinion. If you look at contemporary artists you see a lot has changed in the social issues that are more and more being adressed. For example you have Argentinian artist Kidmograph who makes GIFs and music videos that exist in between the digital world and reality, refusing to commit to either. Influenced by the political films of his home country and the sci-fi classics of his youth, he makes artwork that envisions a better. more advanced world. And then there is also German-born, US-based artist Peekasso's. His GIFs and collages range from blatantly political to surreal and and off-putting. Channelling classic propogranda, internet memes, and pop culture, his work bursts with harsh flashing and clashing colors. Sometimes his work is a rebellion against the very rules of aesthetics. With glee, he spews ridiculous remixes of everyone from Donald Trump to Caitlyn Jenner, guaranteed to make somebody mad. Nevertheless, he stays true to his goal of offering "a different perspective on life."
The position of my practice lies between social and autonomous. In it's origin it starts from an interest or opinion I personally have. This turns into a self-organized project that involves elements that address social issues. In this I use humor to often create dystopian future products or visuals.
