Personal Aesthetic/Main Project Exploration

I haven’t narrowed down what I would like to do for my main project as of yet. However, I do have some aesthetics in mind that I would like to incorporate into my design. One of the aesthetics that I feel resonates with me the most is the naturalism aesthetic. I think this is due to growing up in Colorado, spending most weekends skiing, fly fishing, or camping. I have always been drawn to the quiet, serene feeling I get when in the mountains specifically. From the sources I read, it seems that the naturalism aesthetic stemmed from the evolution of natural science, especially the work of Charles Darwin. As for artistic/design movements, this aesthetic is rooted in romanticism and realism. Naturalism can be seen as a median between these two aesthetics, with romantism emphasizing the emotion over a realistic adaptation, while realism seeks to demonstrate an objective view of the world. Naturalism, however, seeks to explore how the environment informs behavior. I think I would like to incorporate this aspect of this aesthetic into my main project, possibly using natural materials in a transformative way, maybe juxtaposing its inital use.

For my main project, while I still want to incorporate some of the naturalist aesthetic, I also want to explore a gothic aesthetic. I think that these aesthetics would meld well together, like the feeling of an overgrown castle. I have explored the gothic aesthetic for my upcycle project, and I really enjoyed the intricate designs that portray a feeling of grandeur and wonder. I think I also was drawn to this aesthetic due to both my affinity for classical and fantasy literature. As a kid I was a big fan of both The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter series, both well known for their fantasy-gothic settings. I also enjoy more classical novels such as Frankenstein and The Name of the Rose, which are both set in gothic times, with vivid descriptions of gothic architecture which always grabbed my imagination. While I wouldn’t say that either naturalism or the gothic aesthetic are my personal aesthetic, I would like to implement them in this project.  I am still ideating what this project will look like. Some of my current ideas are creating some sort of statue out of natural materials, a hanging flowerpot housing a miniature fountain, and telescopic ski poles in the style of the spires seen in gothic architecture.

References

“Naturalism Movement Overview.” The Art Story, www.theartstory.org/movement/naturalism/. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.