Interview with Zoey Lin

Zoey Lin ("ZL") interviewed on Thursday, 23 May.

Could you please tell us about your experience as a designer, artist, architect or creator?

ZL : Education :2015-2018 Master of Fine Arts – John C. Hench Division of Animation and Digital Arts, University of Southern California 2009-2013 Bachelor of the Fine Arts – Dept. Of Fine Arts, Division of Painting, National Taiwan Normal University Skills: Dragonframe | After Effects | Premier | Photoshop |Illustrator | Agisoft | Maya (Domemaster VR Plugin) | Graphic Design | Exhibition Design | Installation Design | Virtual Reality Design | Process-Driven Project Design | Collage Art with found objects | Hands-on techniques like ceramics, watercolor, sketch, ink, calligraphy, etc. Work Experiences + Employments: 2018 Dec - Art Director | University of Southern California | Division of Media Arts + Practice, Cooperation with project dir. Juri Hwang, Responsible for visual design and character development for multisensory sound repairing interactive device for children - “Sound Toy for EJ” 2018 Oct - Art . Film Teacher | Oasis Trilingual Community School, Responsible for teaching TK-8th grade Art . Film classes in bilingual (English / Mandarin) and creative art director for the short films based on students’ scripts. 2018 July - Tippett Studio Internship, Responsible for experimental shooting and compositing pre-viz for the stop-motion film, MAD GOD part4 directed by Phil Tippett. 2017 - 2018 Student Assistant | University of Southern California | John C. Hench Division of Animation and Digital Arts, Responsible for assisting professors during lectures and breakout and advising students on both concept and technical processes for their animation projects. Assignment: 2017 Spring Introduction to the Art of Animation, Lisa Mann, Associate Professor 2017 Spring Figure Drawing, Tom Sito, Professor 2018 Fall The World of Visual Effects, Craig Barron, Adjunct Faculty 2018 Fall Figure Drawing, Tom Sito, Professor 2016 - 2017 GSG Representative | University of Southern California | Persistence of Visionaries in John C. Hench Division of Animation & Digital Arts, Responsible for meeting with SCA Graduate Student Government. 2012 - 2015 Art Tutor | Designed individual lesson plans for one-on-one art lessons with students from age 12 to 16. Student Award: 2014 Catherine Lin, winner of Art Sponsorship Competition at Taipei American School 2013 - 2014 Art Teacher | Taipei Municipal Ying- Qiao Junior High, Responsible for teaching visual arts for 7th -9th grade. 2011 - 2012 Curator | National Taiwan Normal University, Responsible for curating the 61st Annual Exhibition Dept. of Fine Art and the Joint Exhibition in the Taipei Major Shopping District. 2010- 2011 Chief Designer | Zhong Zheng Senior High School, Responsible for the exhibition, poster, special issues, peripheral products, etc. for The project of Vibrating Bridge Cultural and Historical Preservation Plan. 2009- 2010 Major Lecturer | Y.M.C.A. Art Camp Volunteer Host, Responsible for organizing all art lessons and related activities for both students and parents.

How did you become a designer?

ZL : Originally from Taiwan, I began as a fine artist investigating realism in painting and drawing. My work has evolved into multimedia works examining the existence of matter and the tension between the perceived “surface layer” and an imagined “flowing underlying layer.” I examine this tension in diverse subject matter utilizing collaged physical everyday objects and organic textures. Six years ago, observing and shooting mold growing on a wall day by day, I observed the decaying process via time, environment, and human factors. Wall mold grows, decomposes and proliferates in a similar way to more highly evolved creatures. By analyzing the conditions and the motion and comparing it to biological evolution, “Step by Step” (Stop motion, 2012) became the pilot animated film for three animation installation pieces in 2013-2014: “Semi-liquid Space”, “Breeding Ground” and “Fish-Bird Community”. These three pieces contained imaginative organic design that evolved in three different manners: living characteristics, sociological metaphor, and exploration of techniques intended to visualize the growth of the mold. I am interested in the duality of what you see versus what lies underneath. My ideas are inspired by the both the concept “Assemblage” proposed by Deleuze & Guattari, and the concept “Plissement” by Merleau-Ponty. “Assemblage” examines social complexity and its relationship to emphasizing fluidity and exchangeability. “Plissement” emphasized the body as the primary site of knowing the world, and that which is perceived cannot be disentangled from each other. These philosophies permeate my own work in both the ideation process and the visualization. The animation installation, “Mental Black Hole” (2016) examines how people perceive depression as opposed to the invisible activity taking place in the brain. This media-based installation, in the form of physical space with three-channel projection, presents a creative interpretation of the amygdala and hippocampus’ physical manifestations of depression. “Relation • Ship” (2018) is a film and virtual reality experience which is originally designed as the walkthrough installation. Initially the audience witnesses evocative gestural performance animation of the main character, “Fish Bone Queen,” giving away precious gifts from her own body. Upon entering the virtual reality environment, the viewer is immersed in a living bodyscape. This idea mirrors the perceived natural world and fluctuations in human relationships. Currently, I am utilizing technique, photogrammetry to alloy physical and virtual components for designing immersive experiences and hybrid animation.

What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?

ZL : My top three aspects of the design process are: finding tangible inspiration through physical (found) objects, philosophical concept, vision towards overall direction/overview I began as a fine artist investigating realism in painting and drawing. My work has evolved into multimedia works examining the existence of matter and the tension between the perceived “surface layer” and an imagined “flowing underlying layer.” I examine this tension in diverse subject matter utilizing collaged physical everyday objects and organic textures. Six years ago, observing and shooting mold growing on a wall day by day, I observed the decaying process via time, environment, and human factors. Wall mold grows, decomposes and proliferates in a similar way to more highly evolved creatures. By analyzing the conditions and the motion and comparing it to biological evolution, “Step by Step” (Stop motion, 2012) became the pilot animated film for three animation installation pieces in 2013-2014: “Semi-liquid Space”, “Breeding Ground” and “Fish-Bird Community”. I am interested in the duality of what you see versus what lies underneath. Besides, My ideas are inspired by the both the concept “Assemblage” proposed by Deleuze & Guattari, and the concept “Plissement” by Merleau-Ponty. “Assemblage” examines social complexity and its relationship to emphasizing fluidity and exchangeability. “Plissement” emphasized the body as the primary site of knowing the world, and that which is perceived cannot be disentangled from each other. These philosophies permeate my own work in both the ideation process and the visualization.

Which emotions do you feel when designing?

ZL : I feel alive, passionate and optimistic. It’s very surreal but I do feel all my senses work so much better than normal and my body temperature will be higher than normal. And the weirdest thing is that I don’t feel hunger at all :) Especially in the phase of doing experiments and researches (pre-production phase), it’s the most exciting part of all.

What particular aspects of your background shaped you as a designer?

ZL : I am good at philosophical deep-down thinking process, observation toward things, self-awareness and determination. These aspects are very beneficial to know what and how to set organized schedule and goals for working different projects. My design journey is going toward the direction of experimental, immersive experiences and transdisciplinary cooperation.

What is your growth path? What are your future plans? What is your dream design project?

ZL : I wish to work on more transdisciplinary projects and mixed media artworks and establish my own design brand. One part is that I wish to find sponsorship and cooperation opportunities with fashion or accessories brands and companies. The idea is to cooperate with them by repurposing and assembling their products into characters, sets or props which can become collage artworks as well as developing into short animation contents or series for expanding the story and assets. The other part is long-term goal which I desire to bring all these story ideas, assets and visual components to medicine field for creating interactive works that can serve as visual stimuli to help Parkinson’s patient, patient in pain, mental illness patient, etc.

What are your advices to designers who are at the beginning of their career?

ZL : Young or begging designer should feed yourselves with the best art by visiting museums to see more art and design as well as reading different things in diverse disciplines to expand horizons. And you can think big and have ambitious dream but at the same time you will need to set practical and unit goals to achieve it. In this way, you won’t overwhelm by your own ambition and can go to the right place step by step. Most importantly, if you unfortunately failed in some way, you must believe that’s temporary phenomenon- a step before your success and quickly jump out of sadness to find new approaches and solutions.

You are truly successful as a designer, what do you suggest to fellow designers, artists and architects?

ZL : Think big and never give up. Practice problem solving. Set practical schedule and goal. Do not afraid of stepping out of comfortable zone. Try something new every day. Exercise.

What is your day to day look like?

ZL : Generally my day pattern is like following: 7am swim, 8am breakfast, 8:30am walk dogs, 9am working time, 1pm lunch, 2pm working time, 5pm walk dogs, 6pm working time, 9pm dinner, 10pm shower, 11pm TV time, 12am bed time

How do you keep up with latest design trends? To what extent do design trends matter?

ZL : I do follow Colossal, WWD Fashion Magazine, and other fashion publications, which have some side interest/influence but not directly.

How do you know if a product or project is well designed? How do you define good design?

ZL : A great design make people think and wonder.

How do you decide if your design is ready?

ZL : own happiness, audience feedbacks, a week before deadline

What is your biggest design work?

ZL : Current project Relation ship is the fusion and hybrid of manifold mediums. The visual outlook of this project is surreal and intricate at the same time you can see different influences from various fields on story arcs and character as well as set designs. This experimental VR+installation project combines storytelling, philosophy, and biomorphic virtual reality sculpture to allow viewers to experience visceral landscapes exploring the relationship between static exteriors and micro worlds hidden beneath the surface. Audio intertwines space, scale and sensations by magnifying the subtle sounds created by jewelry, chimes, three-stringed instruments, and ambient sounds. Ultimately the viewer will be left with a more intimate understanding of how worlds can be perceived differently depending on your vantage point.

Who is your favourite designer?

ZL : Coco Chanel is my favorite designer. She breaks through many difficulties and boundaries in her time era to establish her design style and brand. I inspired a lot by her story and admire her works very much.

Would you tell us a bit about your lifestyle and culture?

ZL : I am originally from Taiwan, a country surrounded by ocean. My childhood memories contain many sea lifeforms and so I deeply inspired by the sound of the ocean and the touch of sea and creatures. People can easily find my works full of textures and have quality of flowing water and liquidity for both visual and audio. Since climate in Taiwan is extremely humid and warm, things are easily decayed or changed if you don’t preserve it properly and intentionally. In other words, this factor makes things hard to keep in “perfect condition”. Things will change with the passage of time. However, this situation give me a lot of inspiration on creating works in dynamics and motions.

Would you tell us more about your work culture and business philosophy?

ZL : I mostly work alone in the beginning, and I want to start my own design practice and concept in early stage of pre-production and direct the project.

What are your philanthropic contributions to society as a designer, artist and architect?

ZL : Currently I teach art and filmmaking/animation 2 days a week in a trilingual school, and past and present I present college seminars about my work and experiences.

What positive experiences you had when you attend the A’ Design Award?

ZL : The warm feeling of international recognition of my work, and ability to show my design work in a touring gallery show, publication of my work to a worldwide audience, invaluable networking with inspirational designers, potential customers, beautiful gala event, and visiting once again beloved Italy, inspiring in its own right. And of course, It’s wonderful to think and answer all these questions. I do learn a lot from the whole progress.

Zoey Lin Profile