TASIS England alumna Georgina "Georgie" Stabler returned to campus with flourish this year as the Alumni Visiting Artist and the year's first gallery exhibiting artist in the Fleming Gallery.
Georgie, who graduated from TASIS England in 2012, completed her undergraduate studies at Oxford Brookes University with a bachelor of arts (Hons) degree in interior architecture. As the Alumni Visiting Artist, Georgie worked with students from visual art and humanities classes, and her exhibition, The Space Between: Architecture and Furniture, featured a series of innovative and compelling projects from her coursework at Oxford Brookes. "My style of design reflects my belief that design must be a guiding force behind society, yet it must do so in a way to be almost invisible to the user," Georgie reflected.
The exhibition examined the importance of problem solving in the design process, and allowed viewers to follow the evolution and development of Georgie's creative expression.
The biggest influence (so far) on my career as a designer has to be the art department at TASIS England. I took every art and photography class I was able to, as well as participating in Art Club every semester. As a student in Middle School, in Mrs. Szabo's class, I was encouraged to explore and experiment with different areas of visual art and design. This helped me realize my passion for design. When I got to high school, I continued to spend every moment I could in the art room. Working closely with John Smalley, I attended Les Tapies between 11th and 12th grades. It was within those three weeks in the south of France that I produced 90 percent of my portfolio that got me into design school. I grew from a student who liked many different things about architecture and design to someone with a real chance at becoming a designer.
There are two very important things I can tell young designers and artists. High school is the time to experiment within the art and design world. Try as many things as you can, don't hold back - paint, draw, sculpt, photograph, there is no limit. There are so many possibilities within the world of art and design, and you don't know what your talents are until you try.
I believe I have become the creative professional today because of the opportunities I have been presented with to visit works of different artists and designers in London and around the world. Students at TASIS England are very fortunate because of the great location and travel opportunities of the School. Take advantage of them. Experience and see as many different cultures, types of architecture, and art styles as you possibly can.
The most important thing about the role of a designer is a deep understanding of how human beings function mentally and physically in relation to a larger society, and their interaction with the built environment. This is reflected in my creative process which includes four stages - select, record, understand, and manipulate. It is important to understand that I do not start designing until the last stage of the process.
The built environment is all around us even though we do not always realize it. Our environment has always been and will always be designed for human use. I believe that good design acts as a guiding force behind society, allowing it to grow and change as human beings grow and change, but it must seem almost invisible to the user. Good design should not exist for society to work around it; it should exist as part of society.
Interior architecture is all about designing a space, or an experience to influence the occupant's psychological response, and therefore, a behavior. I most identify with art that evokes a psychological and behavioral response in the viewer, however big or small that may be.
I guess living so close to London and having the opportunity to travel has influenced my work. I have seen many different artists' and designers' work all over the world, which I think has given me a broader view of what art and design is, for many different types of people. The transition of this knowledge into the spaces I design allows them to work on many different levels.
My dream project, that's a tough one because I have not worked on enough real-life projects to know what I like and dislike. My dream project would definitely involve the conversion of a much older building. I like the challenges and restrictions faced when making a series of design decisions to achieve the most effective outcome. I think I would most like to convert the space to an architecture or design studio. This is probably because I find the creative process a fascinating one. It is incredibly personal, yet the outcome can be a very public thing. I am interested in how different people work in different spaces and what they need to work effectively.
I want to influence the way people design and perceive design. I believe we must design to satisfy the needs of the 21st century human being to improve our experience to the world. Therefore we must look at the design of the built environment as the design of an experience, not a space.
This article first appeared in the TASIS England Today magazine, 2015/2016 issue.