10 Questions with Julissa Norman

Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Julissa Norman started her early introduction to the arts by attending Edward Murrow High School and participating in many gallery events in and outside of their Arts Program. Some are but are not limited to Soroban Capital - one collector of Julissa’s early works, Arts Connection - where she was a three-year exhibitionist, located in Industry City, New York, and even back in 2016 at an Arts Connection exhibition had her work featured on Channel 12 News.

After the pandemic in 2020, like most artists, Julissa found herself limited to working solo. With the emergence of machine learning, immersive 3D art, humanoid robotics, and other vital advancements within the last 5 years, she found herself experimenting with creating small robotics projects and became a self-taught coder. Before attending college she attended Cooper Union’s Pre-College Fine Arts Program and that's where she decided that a life of Art is just what felt at home.

In 2018, she was accepted into Parsons School of Design where she would within two years not only decide to tackle a double minor at The New School’s partnering school, Eugene Lang, in Creative Coding and Contemporary Music but also complete a Certificate Program at the FlatIron School for Data Science and in Google’s: WebGL: AI for Anyone.

Now, as a recent graduate of Parsons School of Design with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Julissa delves into the realms of asset creation, motion design, and VFX with a fervent focus. Her creative journey is fueled by her passion for utilizing data as a means to narrate compelling stories, transcending various domains, including mental health, abstract environments, and technology. Using versatile mediums like sound, video, and cutting-edge technology, she embarks on a quest to breathe life into immersive graphic illustrations that vividly animate these narratives.

Drawing inspiration from Julissa’s academic background and diverse interests, she merges her artistic prowess soon to be moving onto topics like 3D journalism data art with a focus in scientific research, economics, and pop culture.

nurxon.com

Eye Tracking Data (center), 2024 © Julissa Norman

INTERVIEW

First of all, introduce yourself to our public. Who are you, and how did you develop into the artist you are today?

I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. I started my early introduction to the arts from high school. I participated in many gallery exhibitions outside of my school's art program and ended up showing some works in Industry City and the Financial District right before college.
Before enrolling in The New School I attended Cooper Union's Pre-College Fine Arts Program then in 2018, was accepted into Parsons School of Design. I graduated with a BFA, with a double minor in Creative Coding and Contemporary Music, while also completing a one-year program at The FlatIron School for Data Science and taking a Google course in Web GL.
After the pandemic in 2020, like most artists, I found myself limited to working in isolation. With the emergence of machine learning, immersive 3D art galleries, and other new forms of digital mediums, I experimented with creative coding and then started my first 3D project on death and cemeteries.
Now, as a recent graduate of Parsons School of Design, I use my time doing freelance motion design and VFX - with a focus on simulated physics. Using versatile mediums like sound, video, and computer graphics imagery technology, I animate various narratives of technological takeover and melancholia.

How did your interest in technology and coding intersect with your passion for art, leading you to explore mediums such as robotics, motion design, and VFX?

Initially, I found myself drawn to 3D designing and coding because of its limitless potential for creation and problem-solving. As I delved deeper into the limitlessness of working with technology, I saw how coding could be used tomanipulate visuals, create interactive experiences, and push the boundaries of traditional art and technology forms alike. This realization sparked a passion within me to explore the synergy between technology and art. Motion design and VFX provided me with a canvas to blend storytelling with technology. Through motion design and VFX, I could breathe life into static images and create fantastical worlds that transcended the limits of reality.

Eye Tracking Data (in-pursuit), 2024 © Julissa Norman

Eye Tracking Data (right), 2024 © Julissa Norman

How do you navigate the balance between artistic expression and the technical aspects of coding and digital mediums in your work?

Navigating the balance between artistic expression and the technical aspects of coding and digital mediums is a delicate dance that requires careful consideration and constant refinement. I make it a priority to deeply understand the tools I'm working with, whether it's a programming language, digital software, or a hardware component. This technical proficiency allows me to translate my artistic vision into tangible creations effectively. I view my work as an iterative process where I continuously refine both the artistic and technical aspects. This means that I'm not only focused on creating visually compelling content but also on optimizing the underlying code and digital processes to achieve the desired outcome.

Speaking of your work, what are the main themes you are interested in? And how do you explore them through your work?

Sound can be a powerful tool in literature and art, evoking emotions, setting the scene, and providing a sensory experience. I often use sound to create a specific atmosphere or to symbolize deeper meanings. In my last project, 'Exploring the Symbiosis of Sound and Memory: A Fusion of Artistry and Technology,' I used 40 Hz or memory recall the sound to creatively visualize the life cycle of a lost memory.
Order. In music and sound design, patterns and structures in compositions - reflect themes of harmony and chaos.
The theme of Natural Shapeshifting involves transformation and fluidity in nature, reflecting the idea that change is inherent to life. It can symbolize personal growth, adaptation, and the cyclical nature of existence. This theme can be represented through metamorphosis narratives, akin to Franz Kafka's "The Metamorphosis", where the protagonist's physical transformation reflects deeper psychological and existential changes - and to depict transformation and the passage of time.
The interplay between sound, order, and natural shapeshifting can be intricate and multifaceted. The soundscape of a community (i.e., urban noise, rural tranquility) can reflect its social dynamics and identity. The contrast between structured human societies and the chaotic, ever-changing natural world can be a rich source of tension and reflection in narratives. Social change and evolution can be paralleled with natural processes of transformation, emphasizing themes of adaptation and resilience. A future society where order is imposed through strict regulations, but nature is reclaiming urban spaces, leading to natural shapeshifting. Individuals struggle with societal expectations (sociology) while undergoing personal transformations (natural shapeshifting).

What is your creative process like? Where do you draw inspiration from, and how do you translate it into the finaloutcome?

Sometimes, I collect data, and other times I creatively mindmap ways data can be interpreted. It is usually driven by kinetic movement and or sound creation. Then, I test how I want to use light in a scene and bring all of these components together. I believe in the power of collaboration between artists and technologists. By working closely with individuals who excel in different areas, I can leverage their expertise to enhance both the artistic and technical aspects of my work.Collaboration also fosters a creative environment where ideas can flourish and evolve. Embracing experimentation allows me to push the boundaries of what's possible creatively while also expanding my technical skill set. Reflecting on this feedback helps me refine my approach and strike a better balance between artistic expression and technical execution. Ultimately, finding the balance between artistic expression and technical proficiency is an ongoing journey—one that requires patience, dedication, and a willingness to push beyond a few trials and errors.

How do you stay updated with the latest advancements in technology and coding, and how does this knowledge influence your artistic practice?

Human nature, open-sourced data, books - and connecting with other data software creators and data artists.

Is there any other medium or technique you would like to experiment with?

I would love to experiment with videography and integrate 3D modeling and VFX with real-world videography. I'd also like to incorporate 3D models of machines and data into performance art pieces using projection mapping, augmented reality, and/or virtual reality. This will allow me to create immersive and transformative environments that explore themes of automation, mechanization, and human-machine interaction, inviting audiences to reconsider their relationship to technology.

Can you share any challenges you've encountered while working with technology and coding and how you've overcome them?

This is relatively new software, which is upgraded every few months or so. If I want to show an emotion digitally it takes more work being that it's reflected through a lit screen - something that most people are desensitized to. Materiality for me is trial and error, broken [coded] scripts, and cross-collaborating software as metaphors.

In what ways do you see technology shaping the future of art, particularly in terms of interactive experiences and digital storytelling?

Technology creates a mirror of the real world and prioritizes the 'right now.' Creating simulated, hyperrealistic, abstracted, or structured spaces all in the span of a computer screen redirects how art is now/will be processed by the viewer and exacerbates, at times, the erasure of emotional labor that is poured into a piece of work. Once upon a time, augmented spaces and the use of art to reflect real-time data were unimaginable. But now that it is not, how are we interpreting mass amounts of digitalized imagery?

And lastly, what are you currently working on? Is there anything new you would like to share with our readers?

I'm currently working on a large data visualization project on the topic of Why Humans Can't Hear Sound in Space. I am 3D modeling a simulation of how the human ear reacts to different pressures - including deep sea pressure, Earth's air pressure, and interstellar pressure. With this project, not only will I be giving scientifically accurate information on space, but I will also be alluding to an allegory about how light and pressure in between spaces inevitably invade our space and result in the end of a species.

Artist’s Talk

Al-Tiba9 Interviews is a promotional platform for artists to articulate their vision and engage them with our diverse readership through a published art dialogue. The artists are interviewed by Mohamed Benhadj, the founder & curator of Al-Tiba9, to highlight their artistic careers and introduce them to the international contemporary art scene across our vast network of museums, galleries, art professionals, art dealers, collectors, and art lovers across the globe.

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