Composing an Environment: A Lighting & Media Design Portfolio

As a designer for the performing arts, I have two main goals that I set out to achieve for every production that I work on. The first is to honor the intent of the original creator of the work. Whether it be a playwright, choreographer, composer, or another artist in a different medium, their vision must take priority over my own artistic desires. My second, and most important goal, is to take the audience along on the same journey that the characters of our story experience. If the audience is confused about what is happening on stage, then the production becomes useless, as the entire reason that art exists is to communicate feelings to an audience.

Light is the backbone of our world. Its quality tells us the time of day, weather conditions, and most importantly allows us to see all of the beauty that Earth has to offer. Without light, our eyes would have no purpose and we would have no need for writing, painting, or television. Modern media has shaped our society into what we know it today. It is used as a tool for broadcasting the news worldwide, to help educate, as well as to entertain. Incorporating the use of media into the setting of a live performance gives those performances an added dimension of design by re-shaping how the audience perceives a story. By utilizing the tools of modern technology, I am able to create illusions that truly seem magical to an audience. This is why lighting and media are the tools of my artwork. They both are ever present in today's world, and by manipulating their technology within a given environment, I am able to subliminally affect the audience in ways that they do not even realize, and successfully communicate my intended emotion.

The entire breadth of my thesis portfolio can be found at the link: https://ir.uiowa.edu/theatre_d_folio/