Dariel Tatiana Davis
Preferred Pronouns: She / Her / Hers
BFA Graphic Design
Artist Statement
I have lived in the same place my entire life. As I got older, traveling became a regular interest of mine, but I would always return to the same place. Now, I'm moving out of the nest and looking for a new place to call home. I wonder how I'll adjust to the shift in change and if I'll develop new interests and hobbies because of where I'll be living. The thought of moving gives me mixed emotions between excitement, worry and curiosity. My thesis will question the same questions I have about moving and what my new home will look like.
As a designer, I've always found it easiest to work with simple shapes. Illustrations, however, have never been my strong suit. I wanted to challenge myself with doing something I've never attempted to do, but also work with simple shapes. For my thesis, I illustrated three posters and each poster focused on one environment between land, water and space in the year 2050. I received the data for each poster through a survey and posted the results of both questions and answers on a website. Choosing to illustrate in an isometric style allowed me to experiment with shapes in a way I haven't before. The survey allowed me to work with other people's responses and see how they felt about living in a new environment. Keeping in mind the projected date of 2050, I chose respondents that were close in age range. By choosing students and young professionals, I received a diverse variety of answers and perspectives. Taking my recipients predictions and illustrating their responses encouraged me to make a dynamic and engaging thesis.
In design, the evolution and process that comes with change is exciting and fulfilling. Giorgia Lupi is an award-winning information designer who works at Pentagram, a multi-disciplinary design studio in New York City. She documents change and creates beautiful art pieces that inspire me to not only question but embrace my discoveries. One of projects, Happy Data, recorded the events of 2020 and the pandemic with illustrated infographics overlaid on her photographs. Her work made me look outside of obvious ways to make infographics and use elements that aren't typically used. Other entrepreneurs like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos inspired me to think bigger than just living in a different area code. Talks of living in space have been in conversation for years, but I feel that now more than ever, we are closer to that reality and I wanted to explore that possibility.
IMAGE GALLERY
Click through to enlarge and view individual artworks from Dariel's thesis project.
