IB Visual Arts LINCOLN SCHOOL Costa Rica: DANIEL GUTH Ib Lincoln School Costa Rica

The Artist Statement
Daniel Guth

I have been fascinated by art and design since I was a child. I have always been a creative person and know I will keep creativity very close to me for the rest of my life. IB Art was a course that helped me see this creative component of life in a whole new way, in a different perspective. This course helped me think outside the box and got me out of my comfort zone. Some of the most valuable experiences for me were the various critique sessions we had in class, in which everyone had a say and an opinion. This coming and going of ideas was very valuable and when applied, the improvements in my work were very noticeable. I learned to do things I had never done before, I used different techniques and methods I had never considered using: finger painting, using plants and bottle caps in painting, digital photography, printmaking, transfers and different mixed medias were some of the methods that I would not have considered doing before the past two years, but now I see art in a whole new light. This course develops sensitivity towards art and design that glues to a person’s life once it is seen. Although there were hard times and periods of no inspiration, the knowledge and experience gained in this course is priceless. During the course of the last two years, an artist that influenced me greatly was Richard Estes. I was particularly interested in his work because of the fact that he sets the majority of his works in the city, which is a setting I am very interested in. I took the advantage of being able to express myself in an empty canvas and criticized society sometimes in subtle ways, and other times in a bolder manner. The liberty in this course is the most important component since it made me think independently, not based on instructions, just on my own ideas, my own experiences, my own life.

April, 2014