dieciocho

Building on McLuhan’s idea that "everything we do is music," I started to explore the idea of language itself as a kind of music, a rhythmical, tonal performance that is often overlooked. In Vietnamese, the accents and inflections are so much more than just linguistic tools. They shape the way we express ourselves, giving our speech a musical quality. Each word, depending on how it’s spoken, can carry a melody. I wanted to capture that essence the natural music embedded in the way we speak. So, I focused on the sounds I make when I speak, the subtleties and nuances of the voice (in this sound track, I took the idea of making the word or sound that I say/ make a lot whenever I tell a story, "uhm"), and translated that into a soundtrack as the low base and the rhythmic beating drums serve as a foundation, representing something fundamental and constant, much like a heartbeat that drives the pace of conversation. The heartbeat, in this sense, isn’t just about life, but...

Photobook 01  In creating this photo book, I explored several narrative approaches through the lens of imagery. Initially, I tried to blend inside and outside scenes, starting with external architecture, then transitioning into hallways, shops, and finally the people. However, this narrative didn’t allow the photos to align in a way that created a smooth, continuous story, as I had envisioned. I then shifted my approach, grouping images that evoked similar feelings, weaving them into a journey that unfolded across the pages. It was during this process that I realized the consistent composition across my photos allowed color to become a key emotional trigger. I structured the photo sequence around this idea: beginning with black and white, followed by a gradual transition from warm tones to the cooler blues, and then to the deeper reds, almost like a rollercoaster ride. I later considered labeling the photos but found it difficult to assign titles without influencing the viewer’s ...

Collage - College Album "Education must shift from instruction, from imposing of stencils, to discovery — to probing and exploration and to the recognition of the language of forms." Education is not merely about the transmission of predefined knowledge; it should be a process of discovery, where students are encouraged to explore, question, and create.  Especially in schools of Liberal Arts, as the quote from McLuhan suggests, the focus must shift from rigid instruction and standardized methods to a more dynamic approach that encourage curiosity and critical thinking. Only in this process of probing and exploration that students can begin to understand the deeper language of forms, the structures and patterns that shape our world. This change would also turn students to be active participants in their learning, engaging with ideas and concepts in a way that is personal, meaningful, and transformative. In this photo album, I explore the angles at Lawrence University that illu...