Research Statement
My research lies at the intersection of artificial intelligence, materiality, and contemporary art, exploring how digital processes manifest in graphic design, new media, and installation. I investigate the evolving relationship between human creativity and AI-generated imagery, positioning machine learning as both a collaborator and a disruptor in the artistic process. By integrating algorithmic pattern generation with digital and print-based techniques, I examine themes of identity, memory, and transformation in the digital age.
Central to my practice is the dialogue between technological precision and organic unpredictability. I employ AI to generate initial forms and compositions, which I then refine and reinterpret through experimental typography, motion graphics, and immersive digital installations. This process challenges conventional distinctions between the artificial and the handmade, creating work that exists at the intersection of code, visual language, and experiential design. The resulting pieces explore the aesthetics of computation while retaining a deeply human, tactile quality.
My research extends beyond individual artistic production into the broader implications of AI-driven creativity. I investigate how emerging technologies reshape authorship, authenticity, and material culture, particularly in the context of contemporary design and digital media. Through interdisciplinary collaborations, I engage with fields such as digital humanities, computational aesthetics, and creative coding to explore new modes of artistic expression. My intent is to create work that resonates with collectors, galleries, and institutions interested in new media, generative design, and AI-driven visual culture.
As a researcher and educator, I am committed to fostering a critical understanding of AI’s role in art and design. I integrate computational tools into my teaching to empower students to experiment with generative processes while maintaining a strong foundation in traditional design principles. My pedagogy emphasizes hands-on making, iterative design, and theoretical inquiry, preparing students to navigate and shape the future of visual communication in an AI-driven world.
Through my research, I aim to contribute to the discourse on the intersection of technology, design, and contemporary culture, expanding the possibilities of digital and material-based practices. My work invites audiences to engage in a nuanced exploration of how artificial intelligence redefines artistic labor, visual storytelling, and the nature of creative authorship.
Artist Bio
Tamara McLean is an interdisciplinary artist whose work fuses large-scale environmental design with interactive media to explore the intersections of history, place, and human connection. Grounded in graphic and experiential design, her immersive installations transform physical and digital spaces into layered narratives, inviting audiences to engage with the past and present in new and provocative ways.
McLean’s career bridges art, design, and technology, with accolades including the Minneapolis College of Art and Design Master of Arts Graphic and Web Design Merit Scholarship, the Blair H. and Leah D. Temkin Exhibition Award, the Ernie Moll Scholarship, and multiple AAF American Advertising Awards. Her collaborations have been recognized at NeoCon with the IIDA Showroom and Large Booth Design Award, underscoring her ability to merge conceptual depth with striking visual execution.
Her collaboration project, Harmonies Unbound: A Digital Media Collage Inspired by Stanislav Skrowaczewski’s 'Music for Winds’, exemplifies her interdisciplinary approach. Commissioned by the Mead Witter School of Music, this work translates musical composition into an evocative visual language, weaving image, texture, and motion to capture the ephemeral nature of sound.
McLean’s research in augmented reality (AR) and its applications in contemporary design was recognized with University of Wisconsin-Madison funding and presented at the 2023 SEGD Academic Summit. As a Master of Fine Arts Fellow at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she continues to push the boundaries of digital and environmental storytelling. She welcomes collaborations that engage museums, galleries, and public spaces, crafting experiences that challenge perception and reframe the viewer’s relationship to place.