Sabine Stock

New York City, New York

Art, to me, is about creating meaning and attachment to visual (and sometimes non-visual) works as a means of better understanding yourself and others.

Why did you choose Cornell and AAP?

I chose Cornell’s B.F.A. program because of this statement: “designed for students who identify themselves as artists/scholars.” I used to believe I had to compartmentalize my interests and separate them, like having to switch on and off. Writing an essay had to be very conventional and technical. Making art had to be purely aesthetic. The more I learn, the more I realize that concepts of art and scholarship are more connected than I ever understood. Art relies on academics, and academics rely on art. When merged, they create beautiful ways of communicating.

What inspired you to become an artist?

Officially, it was a slapping machine I created in a studio art class, the summer before 5th grade. I took the class with my nursery school friend. The teacher directed us to make a machine out of the supplies in the classroom. A simple cardboard paddle. A wire handle spun it in a slapping motion. I tested it on my friend over and again. The slapping machine was my way of using art to express my frustrations with my world. I thought deeply about what I was creating. Many of the pieces I’ve worked on, especially recently, have helped me work through feelings that I couldn’t put into words. It’s important to have that kind of outlet, especially when you can share your work and have others relate as well, even if they interpret it in a different way. Art, to me, is about creating meaning and attachment to visual (and sometimes non-visual) works as a means of better understanding yourself and others. The future, I believe, is a place where philosophical thinking and artistic creativity will be crucial to moving society forward.

What do you hope to accomplish during your time at AAP and after graduation?

I hope to build my body of work, learn new techniques of creating, and build a community of likeminded artists. I also hope to expand my knowledge of other subjects to inform my art, such as philosophy and art history.

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