Portfolio of Laura M. Rusnak

Portfolio

Artistic Endeavors

Many of the images and series in this section are a result of an erasure process in which I remove different portions of found texts to uncover underlying themes and narratives. The resulting art pieces are influenced by mass culture and sample from a variety of visual sources, including found objects, old texts, photographs, hand drawings, textures and other collage material, in order to stitch together contexts centered around issues of gender and identity.

The process is similar in concept to the Surrealists' attempts at Lautreamont's "chance meeting on a dissecting table of a sewing machine and an umbrella." Thus, I look for those cross-sections of dissimilar components inspired by the erasure of texts and bring them together to create the final compositions. In most instances, the final artwork is a digital print utilizing output media like archival inkjet prints or metallic photographic prints, but may also include additional processes, such as wax encaustic.

About

Research and Teaching Interests

Art/Technology Studio Practices:Communication Design (Online and Print), Net.Art, Front-End Development, Digital Imaging & Alternative Print Processes, Artist Books, and Interactive Installation.

Art/Media Studies:History of New Media, Internet Studies, Visual Culture, Electronic Rhetoric, Gender/Sexuality in Media, and Women’s & Gender Studies.

Education

2007-11PhD candidate in Mass Communications (ABD, not completed), Women's and Gender Studies Certificate, Ohio University; Athens, OH.

2004MFA in Computer Art, Syracuse University; Syracuse, NY.

1998BFA in Illustration, Cleveland Institute of Art; Cleveland, OH.

Teaching Experience

2007-Pres.Instructor, Web Design and Interactive Media, Art Institute of Pittsburgh Online Division; Pittsburgh, PA.

2006-07Assistant Professor, Art and Art History: Digital Concentration, Hartwick College; Oneonta, NY.

2004-06Instructor, School of Art: Digital Arts Division, Bowling Green State University; Bowling Green, OH.

2002-03Teaching Assistant (Instructor of Record), Computer Art, Syracuse University; Syracuse, NY.

2002Adjunct Professor, Computer Art, Syracuse University; Syracuse, NY.

Non-Teaching Experience

2004-Pres.Front-End Designer, Freelance.

2008-10Webmaster and Editorial Assistant for The Online Journal of Space Communication, Ohio University; Athens, OH.

2007-08Research Assistant, Ohio University; Athens, OH.

2003Lab Manager, Computer Art, Syracuse University; Syracuse, NY.

2002-03Lab Assistant, Computer Art, Syracuse University; Syracuse, NY.

2000-01Photo Editor Intern, CompuServe Interactive Services; Columbus, OH.

2000Production Artist, American Sign Shops; Middleburg Heights, OH.

1998-99Production Artist, American Greetings Corporation; Cleveland, OH.

Publications

2011 "Visual Arts Online Educational Trends." In Computer-Mediated Communication: Issues and Approaches in Education, edited by Sigrid Kelsey and Kirk St. Amant, 89-98. Hershey, PA: IGI Global Press, 2011.

Technical Skills

Certification:MSFT 070-480 Programming in HTML5 with JavaScript and CSS3.

Languages:HTML + CSS, JavaScript & Jquery, Actionscript 3, and basic knowledge of PHP/MySQL and XML.

Software, Etc:Adobe Creative Suite, various HTML Editors, Microsoft Office, and CMS such as Wordpress and Squarespace.

Multimedia Development:I have a solid understanding of information design, user experience and interaction design, accessibility, and responsive design.

Content Development:I have previous experience in photography and illustration utilizing a variety of materials (traditional and digital), as well as practical skills in digital imaging/editing and motion graphics.

Download:CV Available