Teaching Philosophy
I believe that I can be a positive example and role model for a lot of students—my own experiences have shown me that it is usually very difficult for people to look past their first impressions and preconceived notions. As an educator, I would provide a positive learning space based out of Progressivist teaching philosophies, focusing on students’ development as individuals while simultaneously giving them the practical tools and techniques that they will need to succeed. From my own experience, I know the importance of creating a respectful and culturally responsive learning environment where students can be inspired by artists from backgrounds similar to their own. I believe in connecting with all of my students on a personal level and helping them to elevate themselves to their full potential. I believe that the keen attention to detail required while creating art is a life-skill that is useful to everyone, regardless of their job or goals. At its most essential level, creating art develops not only students’ visual perspective but also a natural dexterity and sleight of hand that is applicable to innumerable careers and fields of work. These pragmatic skills are what I would primarily want students to take away from my classroom, but I would also emphasize to them that art has vital importance not only for bettering one’s mental health but also as an invaluable tool for expressing ideas and bringing people together. I want my students to know that sometimes art can be more useful than any other form of communication because it is not bound by the barriers of language. Artist Statement In my art, I challenge myself to stay as true to reality as possible. While I enjoy working with modern technology (whether it be photography, digital media or welding metal sculptures), my preferred medium is traditional drawing and painting. Personally, I enjoy the challenge that comes with attempting to draw and paint realistically. What I have found is that by juxtaposing different reference images together I can create portraits that are impossible to replicate in real life and are separate from the rules of the physical world—for example, a charcoal landscape/portrait I made for my friend who wanted to be drawn with a golden eagle’s wings and surrounded by nopales (cactus) with a rattlesnake at his feet, the scene being a tribute to his Mexican heritage. I also draw inspiration from my cultural heritage, creating portraits of medieval Mongolian kings and queens as they might appear in contemporary Los Angeles—one of the topics I enjoy exploring the most through various mediums is the intersection of the past, present, and future. Art to me is a more useful tool of communication than language, because it is not bound by language’s barriers. In the future I hope to move my art more in the direction of public art pieces, particularly murals, which I believe are incredibly powerful and effective in conveying emotion and message in the spaces they occupy. Murals can provide a voice to those who would otherwise be voiceless, and they can allow for an expression and experiencing of visual art that is free from the constraints of privilege. |