Michelle Graves is a second year student in the Interdisciplinary Arts & Media program.

Where did you do your undergrad and what did you study there?

I attended Indiana University, Bloomington. I received a BFA in Photography and studied under James Nakagawa, Arthur Liou, and Jeff Wolin.

What are you currently working on?

I am currently experimenting with text based art dealing with memory and Alzheimer’s disease. I am interested in the present moment as material to work with and capturing these moments as precious objects.

This is a time lapse document of what I call “Design Aesthetic Freestyle Writing” that happened this past summer. This is more based on my personal present moment and the allowance of my surroundings to influence the words written.

Stop Small Emotions, 2010 from Michelle Graves on Vimeo.

How has grad school changed your practice?

It has definitely added structure to my art making practice.

Has there been a specific experience or class that was a pivotal moment for your practice?

If I had to pick…I’d have to say that David Jude Greene’s Media Workshop summer course, where I came up with the Design Aesthetic Freestyle Writing, was pretty pivotal. Just having one class to concentrate on was great and he brought a variety of artists to critique our work that were very informative.

Is there anything that you are doing outside of school that you would like to share?

I do lots of things outside of school…

• I am a freelance Photoshop Retoucher / Graphic Designer.

• I stay the night with my grandmother once per month who is on 24 hour care with Alzheimer’s.

• I skate for and am a founding member of the Chicago Outfit Roller Derby League, a traveling, not-for-profit organization. www.ChicagoOutfitRollerDerby.com

• I am the proud Aunt of my little niece Hay-Hay, aka Haylee, and another niece or nephew on the way.

• I have two kitties that I rescued from my backyard named Artemesia and Einstein.