Parsons School of Design
BFA Communication Design
Thesis 2013

Parsons School of Design
BFA Communication Design
Thesis 2013

Different Forms of Isolation
Jacqueline Oh

I explore the ideas of formal and conceptual isolation through various mediums. Isolation is about being alone and apart from others, a state of being often intensified in an urban environment. This work derives from my experience with the very next door neighbor, his story and the sense of isolation caused by separation, loneliness, indifference, and disconnection from the rest of the community. The different expressions in my videos will provoke the audiences to rethink the sense of isolation that how the urbanism within our modern world encourages people to isolate each other. In my work, I employed a metaphor of Betta fish: a creature whose aggressiveness toward others often leads to a habitat of solitude. Isolation takes three different forms in my videos. The first video, inspired by Hiroshi Sugimoto, describes isolation in urban workplaces where individuals are confined to small spaces, producing goods or services. The mood and containment visually communicates isolation, often without the knowledge of the occupant. The second video, inspired by Andreas Gursky, whose works often contain numerous parts that only intensify a sense of isolation in contrast to the impeccable mass they form together. This video shows how public spaces are always filled with crowds, but individuals in these spaces are irrelevant to each other, moving hastily in psychological isolation. Third video with a focus on deconstruction was inspired by Damien Hirst. A cause, process, and result of deconstruction are illustrated as each object dissolves into parts, losing its original form, visually representing isolation. I have a special interest in the fact that isolation takes a toll on individuals since it is often disguised in urban settings, depriving individuals of a chance to identify the causes of their ill feelings.

Jonathan Abbo

Nick Abreu

Silao AJ Afano

Amel Afzal

Jeongkyun Ahn

Frederico Afrange de Andrade

Cynthia Bacall

Piper Black

Shravika Bothra

Zipporah Burman

John Bussiere

Noelle Campbell

Susana Castro

Nate Cepis

Yi-Shan Chang

Lisa Seoyeon Cho

Paul Jay Choe

Sara Chou

Saiq'a S. Chowdhury

Iee Deun Eden Chung

Caitlin Clingman

Evon Coleman

Rachel Cutler

James Czyz

Mae Decena

Stephanie De Jesús

Jonathan De La Rosa

Carlos De León

Kristie DeLouise

Dawa Dolma

Erica Efstratoudakis

Alexis Dawn Ely

Beril Esin

Sofia Falcon

Francisco Flores

Erik Freer

Ying Joyce Fu

Carina Giacomelli

Ermioni Giakou

Isabel Castillo Guijarro

Alex Hack

Shaobo Han

Paulina Ho

Lauren Hodges

Jenny Holt

Vicky Huang

Jess Hutchison

Joanna Izzo

Hasita Kamlesh

Elizabeth Kenney

SoJung Kim

Jihae Kim

Michelle H. Kim

MJ Minjung Kwon

Alleson Lai

Alfred Lam

Yejin Lee

Michael Leng

Christina Lu

Chris Lunney

Maketa Mabane

Amanda Maduri

Sara Maier

Tara Mann

Jenn Martins

Caroline Mathews

Andrew McCausland

Anna McKendrick

Bryan Meador

Melanie Mencarelli

Julio Montás

Jenni Mällinen

Burak Nehbit

My Nguyen

Jacqueline Oh

Melisa Ozkan

Boram Park

Caroline Partridge

Xing Hai Piao

Brenna Pladsen

Stephanie Porzio

Rocco Rada

Jay Ramirez

Joelle Riffle

Elizabeth Rodriguez

Yvonne Romano

Juan Carlos Santos Andrade

Ariel Scala-Perykasz

Shelly Seroussi

Betty Shang

Leslie Shapiro

Jennifer Haesoo Shim

Jeemin Shim

Amos Shin

Ben Shotwell

Robyn Silev

Nika Simovich

Axel Hammarskiöld Spendrup

Lesley Sakinah Steele

Naomi Sundberg

Britt Tapsall

Sabina Telagis

Daniel Bogre Udell

Azalea Vaseghi

Will Warner

Courtney Wells

Belinda Whiteman

Bryce Williams

Anita Wong

Chu-yi Wu

Giselle Nari Wynn

Katherine Yaksich

Kyungwon Yang

Emily Zhong

Michael Zoppo