Jeff Bartell, MFA ’13
thesis abstract
Name: Jeff Bartell, MFA ’13
Current Title: Digital Designer
Current Organization: WGBH Educational Foundation
Thesis cover
Human beings are unique in the way that we experience the advantageous emotions of fear and anxiety, yet also possess the language and self-awareness to examine them.
Since the dawn of our consciousness, moments of trepidation and tension have proven beneficial, as they have motivated our desire to avoid danger and amplified our will to survive. We’ve carried these sensations from our ancestry into the modern world, as we endure them in stressful, yet inactive lifestyles.
For many people, experiencing these tensions without healthy release can have a detrimental effect. They inhibit our sense of personal well-being, rather than foster it. We require a means to expel, confront, and evaluate this uniquely challenging
part of ourselves.
This thesis explores the possibilities for dynamic media projects and concepts to act as coping tools, as well as analyze methods for dealing with feelings of stress and anxiety in the 21st century. The case studies consider opportunities for the power of simulation, recontextualization, physical interactions, and self-knowledge to create cathartic experiences for users.