Jane Luca's Portfolio

JANE

LUCA

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From Where in This World?

Born and raised in the city of Brasov, in post-communist Romania, I can definitely say that I am from a unique moment in history. I was born shortly after the Revolution, when Romania, as we know her today, was born. We grew up together, Romania and I, in the 90s. This was a time of rapid exodus, when many in search of a better life left their homes and all their belongings behind. My vivid imagination would cook up wild stories for all these abandoned things. I felt like an explorer with everything they could ever want at their fingertips.

I am glad I had such a strong imagination; it played an indispensable role in my adaptability, without which I would never have been capable of arriving where I am in life. I went to three different high schools and three different colleges as a result of a transient life. This constant moving from place to place, which dramatically broadened my worldview, also required me to adapt to new social and cultural environments. Over the years, I learned four foreign languages out of my love for communication and human connection. And, to really test the limits of my ability to adapt, I joined the U.S. Marine Corps. All these vastly different and challenging parts of my life fostered my innate curiosity and creativity, while simultaneously affording me the opportunity to put those traits to good use.

Given this eclectic toolbox, that I call my background, I am more confident than ever that the only place where I can apply all my skills are in the boundless world of design.

I am eager to incorporate literary ideas that speak to human behavior and environment. These ideas can be seen another way of understanding user experience. I only started understanding literary texts in this manner after studying German Literature and Culture at Columbia. I was fascinated by the concept of alienation and importance of interior as analyzed by Walter Benjamin and Hannah Arendt.

How could I bring these literary ideas to life? With the aid of a master’s program and guidance from professors, I believe I can develop these ideas into design. I would like to couple them with my logistics and supply chain experience from the Marine Corps because design also represents the well-thought process, much like the workflow in a supply chain. Overall, I am excited to become a designer that started her journey in a desire to connect with others and help create a better living environment through my work.

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Table of Contents From Where in This World?: Personal Statement

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I Am Here: Series of Portraits

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Handmade Jewelry

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Give Me: Series of Street Art

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Function Over Form: Poems

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Water: Series of Landscapes

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Form First: A Crooked Shelf

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Halloween Props: A Costume Hat

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Light Series

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Where the Sun Wakes Up: Children’s Book

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Rainfall: Children’s Book

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I am here—is what I told everyone before I took the picture. I asked people to pose according to what that sentence means to them. My choice of who to photograph was based on the story I thought was behind the image. I then selected the photographs that embodied what I saw behind the image combined with the pose that each person struck. The combination of those two elements resulted in this portrait series.

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I love my community in Astoria. My jewelry making process is the result of my friendship with Jewels Buddha shop owners. I struck a conversation, then we had tea on a regular basis, and then I ended up being their apprentice. I learned wire wrapping techniques for setting stones as well as basic bracelet making.

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This series of street art informs the viewers what the creators would want to see instead. I found these urban landscapes inspiring as they added color, beauty, and motion to what otherwise would be perceived simple as walls, or overlooked altogether.

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a o

I thought I saw you once in the lagoon, or w hat looked like your body.

The steam rising in glorifying dance worshipped the g ods

illars o f water perturbed my alabaster face seeking yours

Freya said not today, so I sink deeper in warm blue ripples

Just two days later I thought of diving straight down into a volcano

To find the s ecrets of its dormant love that now for decades rest in stone.

It said that l ove was always there for me to grab onto.

ike the e tra step that horses h ere do take,

ike lakes too cold, that only i n three minutes take your breath

Yet deeper than ages of hardened sugary rock gates of a heart

Is your own self for now trapped in white silky labyrinths

Screaming your name in pink and p urple

But you confuse it with the night’s dwarves, and let that voice

Sail further north than you could ever chase it u ntil it’s lost in translucent icebergs

Take brown ships then, because y ou’ll need to float on all the tears you shed

In colorless, uiet, void, naked days

Back to the voice, that inner self, that only instinct will provide insight.

That day you’ll l earn what hearts in deep volcanoes hide

That day you’ll uncover, the secrets of all things, a nd life

Fly on your love bones into the abyss.

Chivas Brothers

Fine, She’s a fine one lad.

You might be a wee chap But that lassie over there is a bonnie.

I saw her golden locks breaking the fog Yesterday, hiking the highlands near that loch.

Today walking the royal mile on cobbled paths Tomorrow sure enough in Aberdeen Buy her a beer, pastry and soup Take her left hand wherever You would desire, lad Just take it now Before night’s Fog will Fall.

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otato o

I closed my eyes and fall on my back in a warm blue pool That reminded me that everything is simply one.

I closed my eyes, and felt. I felt it all in me again.

I cried in love, of beauty that was left everywhere for me to use. verwhelmed by such generosity, I stumbled in my words ouldn’t let out what I had found in me.

I cried that day in purple butterflies and screamed in green birds. n lines of gold I drifted to you. A voice I’ve never heard, spoke In sweet silver, of something I didn’t know. But left me smiling All wounds welded together with titanium.

I learned that day, lying on waters all the way to my ears, sometimes my belly That all I need, I had but was too much for me.

Some day I’ll unpack my suitcase, and wear that gown for a walt .

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My Dream __________

Ironworking a dissonant world where some instruments should not sing in a certain register she knew it would be the same as a Journeyman. she knew technique. that’s like having class you can’t buy that shit

the wall had skid marks…

I took a white soft rectangle and left my marks on the wall over the scars a Poet doesn’t have to leave anything behind

The Journeyman leads a group of people………………………………………………………….. each with their different tools. Having worked on LOFTY projects……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… she knows what is to solve………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… most importantly how: {the how confusinG} X is X { what? [ SETS (scaffolding, stage, sun, skill)

People]- apart} =

the how is confusing and that is what sets people apart All put aside the how prowls. It is quietly smelling its environment its space.

Being one of the locals takes ears and eyes and time… And that takes time…

It takes time!… And that takes patience… laced with tact of the borrowed Sweet Orange Peel Voice: this is the recipe of success i hear at least that is what I can make out of the situation. they say having a tall glass of humbleness would help one get far in life. i drink my cheap beer to irrigate my thirst for cold

Cultural Dialog translation provided by the American Academy, you know, the one like L’Académie Française Valeria: B:

I don’t like it. like what? in simple, clear language what is happening to me

Valeria: But… still,

B:

horrible me I can’t

they’re just things that happened to you. It makes sad to think about you like that, because love you, and I stand the you in pain.

these things happened

Valeria: You’ve no sensibility.

B:

i’m bothered you can’t respect the existence of all events that happened “to me”. what you call “sensitivity” suffocates black all existence around you porous convictions of things “good” or “bad” >as if you are a 2D stick figure not < a 3D human being. First things’ existences are. Then you add the color of what you see in water. this is what you call your opinion that you throw up all over everyone. Your opinion

is as invisible “to me” as everything that happened. Insensitive my ass you crude bitch.

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Iceland is one of my favorite places in the world because of all the natural activity. They use geothermal heating due to all the underground hot springs. This series of landscapes captures my fascination with all the forms through which we encounter water, from incredibly hot springs, to clouds, a glacier and waterfalls.

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During my woodworking apprenticeship, I wanted to build a shelf that is functionally sound but looks crooked. I learned at DeSantis Designs that you can easily add curves and create a delicate yet powerful design.

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Michele Clapton is one of my favorite costume designers because she materializes soft skills and traits of her characters into the costumes she creates. This series shows my attempt to create a Finn hat. Finn is a cartoon character who always wears this hat. The top left corner picture show my first attempt at cutting the material and making the hat.

As soon as I cut the material I realized it was too small to fit a head. I made changes and learned from each step how to adjust until on the fifth try, I finally made a hat.

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“When children think up stories, they are like theater directors who refuse to submit to censoring by ‘sense.’”

–Walter Benjamin, A Glimpse into the World of Children’s Books

I made these children’s books in order to engage their senses as well as boost their creativity. By including collages, felt and various paper I wanted to engage my four-year-old niece’s senses in the story. Then I played with space to create an open atmosphere and encourage her to imagine what else could be in the space in between. I also noticed she gets very frustrated when she cannot color within the lines or be consistent in writing letters. This book aims to show her that imperfections are welcomed. I hope that this way she will be more encouraged to draw and do arts and crafts herself as well as simply letting her imagination run wild.

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“In short, pure color is the medium of fantasy, a home among clouds for the playful child, not the strict canon of the constructive artist.”

–Walter Benjamin, A Glimpse into the World of Children’s Books

Fairy tales were a big part of my childhood. I imagined being the protagonist travelling to fantastic lands even when I was simply swinging on a swing. This book aimed to engage my two-year-old nephew by introducing his favorite household objects and a short story full of color.

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