DECONSCIOUSNESS
"In our current sociopolitical climate lies an extreme disconnect between our internal and external realities. What occurs in our external reality inevitably affects us internally, and how in turn we interact with one another. While our thoughts, actions, and desires lie in constant flux, we seek refuge in the deconstruction of our own internal conflicts.
The ARTDES 400 "Experiments In Architecture, Installation & Painting" class invites all dreamers, nihilists, and cynics to DECONSCIOUSNESS."
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DECONSCIOUSNESS is a collaborative installation created by a collective of students attending the Penny W. Stamps School of Art and Design at the University of Michigan. The installation was done within their studio "Experiments in Architecture, Installation, and Painting" under the instruction of Robert Platt and Roland Graf with the assistance of Laura Magnusson. The piece was installed at the Penny W. Stamps School of Art and Design Work Commons from April 18-23, 2017.
The students call themselves "The 12 Angry Art Students," and they are as follows: Abigail Barrera, Adrian Bazbaz, Mallory Donahue, Jonathon Downing, Dara Firoozi, Erica Gavan, Gabrielle Graves, Adrian Hanna, Benjamin Leigh, Hannah Mabie, James Mackin, and D Wang Zhao.
The piece was broken down into three cohesive "zones" referring to the three levels of consciousness: Conscious, Subconscious, and Superconscious. The Conscious zone dealt with the here and now: what you are aware of and thinking about currently. It guides the task at hand and your daily decisions. It makes you productive or unproductive. It is the internal self interacting with the physical external world. The Subconscious is explained as follows: This level of consciousness is just below the surface, a more dream-like state of the external world influencing the internal. It is full of experiences and memories, and external influences that may not be readily at the forefront of our minds when making decisions or interacting with the world around us, but are there and have their influence all the same. Finally, the Superconscious is a heightened level of clarity where our deepest thoughts, desires, and memories exist below our awareness. The superconscious is not limited by what the present moment holds and does not rely on the physical world. It is a continuous, infinite space.
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My major roles within DECONSCIOUSNESS were being a lead in the shelving/nook design and construction, envisioning and painting a mural, poster and pamphlet design, and overall conceptualization of the installation. Here you will find photos of my contribution to the installtion piece, and if you would like to see more of the exhibition as a whole please visit this web page .