#tiffanylin

Work by Illustration Practice MFA candidate Tiffany Lin 

STUDIO VISIT MFA FEATURE

NAME: Tiffany Lin

AREA OF STUDY/PROGRAM: MICA - MFA Illustration Practice http://www.micaillustrationpractice.com/

1.Where were you before MICA?

Before coming to MICA I was eking out some semblance of a bohemian existence in New York City, mostly working in restaurants and taking printmaking courses at Parsons.  Prior to that, I was in California where I was born and raised.  I attended UC Berkeley and worked as a reproductive health counselor in Oakland, Chinatown before focusing on my art practice.  When I was in California, I envisioned utilizing my artwork in a public/community arts capacity in tandem with my interest in public health and political organizing.  However, since moving to the east coast, my work has changed considerably in form but still retains political undercurrents.  

2. Why did you choose this program at MICA?

I heard MICA & Baltimore at large are excellent incubators for creative development.  I’m sure many people can relate to the difficulties of maintaining a consistent studio practice in a more cutthroat city like New York.  I saw graduate school as an opportunity to immerse myself in an artistic community and fully commit myself to the creative process in a smaller city environment.  

MICA’s Illustration Practice program stood out to me because of its focus on experimentation and rigorous course structure.  I wanted to be in a program that would force me to try new things and learn a variety of skills from both my peers and instructors. I have to say, the program mostly taught me how to fail and get back up again which is an imperative skill to have as an artist.  Under the guidance of director Whitney Sherman and first-year faculty Kimberly Ellen Hall, I was encouraged to experiment, adapt, and seek ways of working naturally, specifically through my sketchbook. Beforehand, I was too preoccupied trying to emulate other illustrators’ styles in my final work and it was refreshing to utilize my sketchbook as a catch-all for my mental diarrhea, so to speak. The sketchbook then becomes a repository I’m able to sort through later, extracting and combining ideas for final work from the mess of writing and doodles.  As cliché as it sounds, coming to MICA enabled me to find my own voice and use it with conviction.  I never anticipated my artwork changing this dramatically, both in style and concept.

3. How do you anticipate your studio practice changing after you graduate?

I’m going to have to find a new space!  One of the great things about ILP was our communal studio environment – our low-walled cubicle space isn’t for everyone but it fostered a strong sense of teamwork and camaraderie among our group.  After I graduate, I’ll most likely work from home I try to get my career up and running.  The nice thing about illustration is that I’m able to work in a quick and compact manner (I often only need paper and ballpoint pen), but eventually I’d like to find a studio space to work on larger personal projects. My thesis project American Dreaming was a big artistic departure for me and I explored new avenues of working with installation, experimental writing, and interactive objects.  I’d like to continue riding out that momentum!

4. What are your plans/goals for your time after MICA?

Everything is up in the air!  But I do have some plans to do a bit of traveling in Europe to see a good friend in Germany and participate in a lithography residency in Sweden.  I haven’t traveled out of the United States in a long time, so I’m nervous and very excited.  I’m also interested in learning more about the refugee crisis from a European perspective and to what extent the Trump administration has shifted public attitudes abroad.  When I come back, I’ll be buckling down and applying for a variety of jobs.  Ideally, I’d like to pursue a career as an educator and freelance illustrator, but am also looking out for residency opportunities and the like.  I always want to be in a position where I’m constantly growing and learning from my surroundings.

See more of Tiffany’s work at http://www.tlinart.com/   

You can also see Tiffany’s thesis work on display as part of MICA's Grad Show II - MFA Illustration Practice from March 27th - April 9th at the Riggs & Leidy Gallery in the Lazarus Graduate Center, 131 West North Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21201. Opening reception March 31st, 5-7pm.  The show will include new drawings, writing, prints, zines, objects, and installation.