THE COMPANY I KEEP

The Company I Keep was on exhibit at TaDa! in Easthampton, MA in the summer of 2014. Watch the TaDa! video, click here.

In October of 2013 I earned a MFA in Graphic Design from the Vermont College of Fine Arts with a focus on the personal development of a design process. I based my work on communicating through participatory design. My messages started off as simple phrases of affection which became more focused and meaningful, covering topics like not taking life for granted, the importance of grounded decision making, and the awareness and appreciation of relationships.

Following the pattern of creating thoughtful work my current study is called The Company I Keep. This piece observes how some of us, myself included, define ourselves, our status, our success and/or our happiness by what we do for a living. Why do we do that?

How many times have you met someone new and the first question in the introduction conversation is "What do you do for a living?" or "Where do you work?"

The Company I Keep is a display of conceptual business cards of the people in my life, the company that I keep. I asked some of the closest people to me to identify themselves without mentioning their career. It could have been something they are good or bad at. Are you a good listener? A sloppy eater? Maybe they identify themselves with an interest or guilty pleasure. Are you a mini-golf enthusiast? A checkout line tabloid reader? I used these responses to create a business card that captures their particular identity.