Krissia Keck

My name is Krissia Keck and I'm somehow an art major. I say this because I'm very straightforward, and have very little tolerance for nonsense, which coincidentally makes up most of the art world. To me, (most) art is a big joke I just don't understand, but still want to laugh at.

I could make up an amazing story about how art has influenced me, but it all comes down to watching Bob Ross on PBS as a kid. I relentlessly tried to create magical little trees with my fan brush (failing miserably), and eventually that led me to dabble in tons of different mediums. I attended Arts High School, and that helped me improve my skills, and find out what my strengths were.

My ultimate goal is to be a creative director. Of what? I still don't know. I would love to coordinate fashion photo shoots, or maybe even work as a creative director for a big fashion brand. I'm currently trying to get comfortable with the idea that the industry I'll be working in is very materialistic and shallow, and I'll most likely have to sell my soul in order to get anywhere. Making money as an artist would be great. But being the realist pessimist that I am, I just don't think it would happen.

Personally, knowing art history is a way for me to study other artists' styles and processes, and it's also an endless source of inspiration. Politics and societal conditions definitely influence art and culture. The best example I can think of is president Obama's Hope campaign. The president knew that he would need the support of minorities and young voters to win. Shepard Fairey, the artist who designed the Hope poster, who is also well known as a street artist, mentions that he was influenced by social realism. The poster is also reminiscent of the Che Guevara photo, which is a widely recognized symbol for revolution. The Hope poster is simple, easily recognizable, and did evoke a revolutionary feeling amongst voters.