Maya Freelon

To study abroad in Paris has always been one of my dreams. At the beginning of my junior year, I began independently charting a study-abroad program that would cater to both my academic needs and art major. I decided on The American University in Paris, a school that combined liberal education with the vibrant artistic culture of Paris. The next steps were to have the courses pre-approved by my professors and advisers at Lafayette, and then apply. On June 25, 2003, I was accepted, one step closer to my dream.

While there, I took classes in French, watercolor, sculpture, and art history. These instructions alone did not satisfy my artistic drive and were incapable of expressing the myriad of feelings that were inspired by my new environment. The freshness of Paris inspired me to explore new mediums. The previous semester at Lafayette I had conducted an independent study with Professor Lew Minter, during which I became proficient with Photoshop, a graphics software program. Without that foundation, I would not have been able to engage the digital art medium while in Paris. I did not have as much physical space or abundant art supplies as I had at Lafayette. As an improvisational method, I began taking pictures and digitally manipulating them to form completely new and original images.

With the Atlantic Ocean separating me from my home country, I found a new personal reality, which involved the detachment of myself from everything I had previously known. I began to contemplate and grapple with issues of identity, personal expression, and global politics. As a result, I created a range of works that dealt with everything from the injustice of war to the objectification of the female body.

Although I was enthusiastic to be in France creating these new art projects, I was terribly anxious to come home and print them. At AUP, I was not able to print on wide format, high quality printers. When my journey ended and I was able to see prints of my digital art in tangible form, I was overwhelmed and others agreed. The summer I returned from France, I was invited to show my digital art at a group exhibition called “The Body Show” in my hometown, Durham, N.C.

Perhaps what was most rewarding and assuring about the study-abroad experience was the ability to apply the skills I acquired at Lafayette in a foreign environment. The digital artwork that began in Paris as experimentation has evolved into the basis of my senior honors thesis; exploring the art process I have coined as Hybrigital. I will present my research and examples of Hybrigitals at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research, as well as during my thesis defense in May.

Some may wonder, as I once did, if they are ready for the world outside Lafayette. I can confidently say that the combination of classes, dedicated professors, and intellectual autonomy has exceedingly prepared me for the next set of challenges. Au revoir.