INSTITUTE FOR DOCTORAL STUDIES
IN THE VISUAL ARTS
In May 2017, I was given the opportunity to work with Factory Obscura , an Oklahoma City-based art collective. By fall, we opened our first interactive, large-scale installation entitled "SHIFT." The project was an amazing success, with more than 20,000 attendees!
Most recently, Factory Obscura was the recipient of a million-dollar investment by Steve Mason, a local businessman and art patron. We are now busy building the collective’s first permanent public art experience in Oklahoma City.
In 2015, when I chose to enroll at IDSVA, I wasn’t sure whether what I had to offer the world as an artist was enough. Now, as I approach my fourth year in the program and my second year at Factory Obscura, my understanding of the role of art in contemporary society and my contribution as an artist has changed dramatically. I've grown in directions that I wouldn’t have otherwise considered. I am developing a tool-kit that allows me to better investigate the world around me through aesthetic theory and practice.
The cross-pollination of my studies at IDSVA with my work at Factory Obscura has opened fascinating and rewarding new territories for me.
Read more about Factory Obscura's upcoming projects .
Erin Latham.jpg Erin Latham is a concept-driven installation artist living and working in Oklahoma. She received her Bachelor of Fine Art from the University of Oklahoma in 2008, and her Master of Fine Art from the Pratt Institute in 2012. She is currently working on her Ph.D. in Philosophy, Aesthetics, and Art Theory at the Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts (IDSVA). She is also a member of the Factory Obscura team. Latham is interested in understanding the impact her work has on the environment and how that impact affects populations. By using found and recycled objects and traditional media in sustainable ways she creates installations which immerse the viewer in specific environments and allow for moments of wonder. To view her work please visit www.erinlatham.com.