Tim Karoleff (MFA DO 2020)

What factors influenced your interest to study at SAIC?

I was drawn to study at SAIC because of the interdisciplinary approach to arts academics. At SAIC I’m able to focus on Designed Objects while exploring tangential fields and incorporating the narrative and critical elements present there into my personal practice. The world-renown faculty didn’t hurt either.

Where did you previously study and what topics did you investigate?

I received my BS in Industrial Design from the University of Cincinnati in 2009. During my time at UC I had the opportunity to work professionally for clients ranging from New Balance to HTC to Microsoft to Cappellini, designing lifestyle goods, consumer electronics, and luxury furniture.

What courses within AIADO have helped shape your current work?

My favorite course at SAIC thus far has been Experimental Practices with Ilona Gaynor. It challenged me greatly, forcing me to dissect my established understanding of design, its impact on society, and utilization as a tool.

How has Chicago as a city influenced your research and practice?

Chicago is an international city with all of the societal abundance inherit in that title. There is never any lack of cultural inspiration, from the immense diversity of people to world-class museums, there is always some interesting aspect of society to engage. I’m also a big fan of the tree-lined boulevards in the near-suburbs.

What are you currently investigating in your work now?

Currently I’m researching object-oriented ontology and the affectations of movement on the crafting of form. Specifically, I’m looking at the relationships of desire, pleasure, and use between conscious and unconscious objects.

Read more interviews with AIADO students here.