Hello, all! My name is Craig Moore. I’ll start off with a quick story. During the final semester of my Fine Arts degree, I was publicly asked by a professor of engineering to define ‘Art.’ Much to the chagrin of my peers, I offered a brief, admittedly ostentatious, response to a deceptively simple question:
“Art is asking questions.”
While my answer garnered some well-deserved eyerolls, it’s a definition I wholeheartedly stand by. Beyond any technical skills or entrepreneurial prowess developed during my three years in FSU’s Studio Art program, the ability to pose and critically analyze complex problems through various lenses was the most valuable expertise I walked away with.
I affectionately reference this anecdote because it lends itself to almost everything I do. I’m beginning my second semester in the MSIT program having completed the aforementioned Studio Art program at FSU last spring. My primary disciplines are video art and virtual environment design, where I combine found and created video with 3D photogrammetry scans and projection mapping.
I live in Tallahassee where I’ve worked on-campus at the FSU Innovation Hub for just over two years as a Computer Technologies Intern, subsequently as an Area Specialist, and most currently as a Graduate Assistant. Across these roles, I’ve developed a passion for connecting researchers, faculty, and students with technologies, concepts, and resources to expand and enrich their myriad creative pursuits and research methodologies. It’s also within these roles at the Innovation Hub where I’ve been able to hone my critical thinking (occasionally overthinking) skills in a meaningful capacity beyond the borders of my art practice.
It has been highly rewarding to have a platform to experiment with and learn from practices in systems administration, computer and VR lab development, technology procurement, technical writing, and skill sharing, all the while applying a knack for questioning everything and learning a ton in the process. Drawing on my appreciation for the work I’ve been doing at the Innovation Hub, I decided to pursue a graduate degree in Information Technology. So far, it has made for an interesting contrast with my undergraduate degree, enabling me to question everything in a fresh context while greatly developing my skills as a writer and editor.
Looking forward to this class, I’m excited to deliver on some of the skills I developed during my undergraduate education in the context of professional and information organizations. Of particular interest to me are the resources and exercises focusing on copyright and Creative Commons licensing. A portion of my art practice relies on sourcing found media, the majority of which I’ve obtained no legal rights to implement. While this was not much of a concern in educational and not-for-profit contexts, I fully understand that there is a better and more commercially viable process to follow for sourcing media. Up to this point, my primary concern was simply dodging YouTube’s copyright claims on my non-monetized videos. That said, I’m excited to learn about proper methods for obtaining rights to media, especially as I intend to apply my skills in professional and public contexts in the future.
To leave off, I’ll introduce you to my partner, Sarah, and our two cats, Frankenstein and Lorelai, while wishing each of you a Happy New Year and a fruitful semester to come!
Cheers!
– Craig Moore
Hey Craig! I am not fully sure what your design experience is about, but it definitely reminds me of the Masters program at UCF called Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy. I have friends who just graduated from that program that learned programming languages for their game design patterns and they also have interest in 3D Projection mapping art. I see how a lot of technology becomes intertwined with a variety of subjects and definitely art as well! I personally maintained an IT degree throughout my undergrad and now graduate degree. How did you find out what you were interested in? I had a more creative interest when I was younger and when I used to play games more often. Do you have any favorite video games that inspired you?
Hello Craig, it’s nice to e-meet you! I loved your blog post, it felt like you were speaking directly to the reader, making it engaging and personal. What sparked your interest in pursuing a Fine Arts degree? Your passion for connecting people with technologies, concepts, and resources will help you achieve great things in the field of information science and technology. I have also struggled to understand how copyright works in the past, but I am excited to learn more! I also must admit that I got super excited when I saw your cats! Such a great choice of names, I love Frankenstein and Lorelai (just finished my annual rewatch)!
Hi Craig! It’s great to meet you (virtually)! Your response to “What is art?” is brilliant. I love how you distilled it into “Art is asking questions.” That idea really sticks with me, especially since art can mean so many different things to different people. It’s so cool how, for an artist, a piece can have one meaning, but for someone viewing it, it might spark a completely different perspective or feeling.
Your work in video art and virtual environment design sounds super interesting—especially with photogrammetry and projection mapping! Do you have a favorite project or piece you’ve created?
Have you been to the Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg, FL? They have this cool VR experience called Dreams of Dalí in Virtual Reality where you can step into one of his paintings. It’s such a surreal and immersive experience—your post made me think of that haha.
Also, Frankenstein and Lorelai are such fun names for your cats! I love black cats—they’re so full of personality.
Looking forward to learning alongside you this semester!