Location is Everything: Charlestown, RI

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May 2013

Senior Graphic Design Studio

Thesis Project

Artist Statement: With this installation piece I aimed to give the viewer a quick and bold impression of the experience of living in the two locations depicted: Allston, Massachusetts and Charlestown, Rhode Island. Both of these towns are held very near and dear to my heart. Charlestown is where I grew up and Allston is where I spend the past four years growing into myself.

I wanted to give the viewer unique insight into these places that would be not obtainable by reading about them or simply passing through. Surroundings greatly impact one’s feelings, attitude, and manner in which one conducts him or herself in daily life. I focused on this fact and strived to give the beholder similar feelings to those I have experienced in these wonderful locations.

Process: I spend a lot of time wandering around in each location and took hundreds of photographs over the course of a semester. I curated pictures of anything that interested and inspired me, or that I felt simply captured the essence of the location I was in. After this I choose a color pallete that I saw fit and sketched and collaged the images in order to create the posters that would end up in my installation. The end result entailed a lot of taking apart and reassembaling, the inclusion of a few found objects, and some sketching on the gallery walls.

I had a lot of fun with this project and I believe it accurately represents me as a designer! I hope people enjoy viewing it as much as I enjoyed creating it.

This illustrative poster was meant to capture the general feeling of Charlestown, Rhode Island. It is a very quiet rural beach community with a lot of beautiful flora and fauna. The colors and free flowing organic shapes accurately represent my vision of my hometown.