Natalie Keszthelyi

My piece "Beehive" takes inspiration from surrealist paintings from the 1920s to the 1930s as well as the pen drawings of my favorite artists. My piece "Snail Pot" is inspired by contemporary surreal decor. My piece "Pond Accordion" takes inspiration from surrealist paintings from the 1920s to the 1930s as well as the pen drawings of my favorite artists.

My portfolio investigation inquiry was, "How can I reimagine complexity within nature in an innovative and interactive way?" For my “Beehive,” I was inspired by a documentary on bees and their hive dynamics. I wanted to reimagine what a beehive might look and function like if they evolved without human interference. Drawing from my research, I envisioned them repurposing found materials for greater efficiency and growing to the size of an average car. In the artwork, the bees are equipped with pollination machinery, while the bottom right features a central food source. Here, nutrients are collected and transformed into food orbs, which are distributed throughout the hive via intricate pipe systems, reaching the eggs. Scattered across the piece are storage pods filled with remnants of human items that are repurposed into hive machinery. When I was finished after three months of drawing, to further engage viewers, I created an "eye-spy" key highlighting some of these hidden repurposed objects, inviting a deeper exploration of the piece.

For my “Pond Accordion,” I transformed a pond ecosystem into a mechanical world where animals were robots powered by plants. To sustain this robotic ecosystem, I designed specialized pods that grow "battery plants," the energy source for the robots. I also introduced worker robots that oversee the health of the plant-powered robots. They make repairs and give the robots the battery plants. I wanted the viewer to slowly piece together the world over time, so, I decided to make the artwork very long. It consists of 10 connected panels that fold like an accordion so the viewer can look at it like a book, connect both ends, and make a panorama, or a timeline.

After making "Pond Accordion," I wanted to explore the snail robot I had drawn. I decided to make a 3-D model of it, but I wanted to find a way to keep the interactive qualities I aim for my art to have. I designed and built a simplified spine model using cardboard and rubber bands. I used this as the inner part of the snail's neck to make it moveable. Then, I pieced together the rest of the snail. The antennas have springs at the base to make them wiggly. The shell also had a trap door to allow the plant to be watered easily.

Height: 9.5" x Width: 18" x Depth: 6.5' | Material(s): Cardboard rubber bands, glue, plastic plate (for plant), plastic wrap (to catch water under plate), pen springs | Process(es): "Robot Snail," plan out design based off snail drawing on image, 6 test piece parts together, add plant

When I first started AP art and design, I didn’t have a solid idea of what I wanted to make my portfolio about. I like using a thin pen and lots of detail, but I didn’t know how to turn that into a strong investigation. To start, I made a couple of artworks without following any statement or question. I just made the things I wanted to make. Seeing those projects together helped me build a question using the things that I'm interested in: imaginative world building, nature, and interactive elements. When I look at art, I like to look up close at every individual brushstroke and line. I don’t like the rule of keeping your distance from artwork. It helps me feel a connection to what I’m seeing. I find those details to be one of the most interesting parts of an art piece. So, for my portfolio, I wanted to find ways to encourage viewers to break the unspoken rule of keeping their distance and encourage them to explore the worlds I create up close. This led me to the inquiry question of “How can I reimagine complexity within nature in an innovative and interactive way?”

To improve the statements for each artwork, I used tons of labeling in my imagery instead of trying to somehow shorten the process explanations for the designated box. Truthfully, there isn’t a large character limit for students, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find other ways to get all your thoughts into the portfolio. In my portfolio, I had a total of four art pieces. The other 11 images were close-ups, process pictures, eye-spy keys, and planning. That might not work for everyone, but if you happen to be struggling with adding your thoughts, I recommend trying labels.

During AP, my incredibly talented art teacher Mrs. Turner guided me so much. She helped me refine my investigation question and tackle my composition struggles, teaching me new techniques to direct the viewer's eye across the page exactly how I envisioned. She also constantly encouraged my class to “just make the art you want to make” throughout the year, which helped my class feel more at ease with allowing our investigations to evolve throughout AP. Mrs. Turner also kept us on track with a clear schedule for artwork deadlines, ensuring we met the required number of images. However, when I was hooked on an artwork, she counted it as multiple artworks so I could work on it a bit longer. She eventually told me to work on something new. I wasn’t stressing her out by taking three months to finish a single piece of artwork or anything like that (sorry, Mrs. Turner). I can’t thank her enough for doing such an amazing job supporting my class. She is an amazing teacher.

If you're planning to take AP Art and Design or you're already in it, my advice is to stay true to yourself when choosing your inquiry. Pick a topic that connects with what you genuinely enjoy creating and avoid picking something completely unrelated to your current interests. Exploring a brand-new subject can be exciting, but it might be challenging to build an entire portfolio around it. Your inquiry doesn't need to be super deep unless that's the direction you want to take. Focus on what inspires you and makes you passionate about art. I would find a way to explore that even further.

My students begin their investigation by creating a "mood board" of everything that influences their work, such as art movements, colors and textures, music, still-life subjects, and more. We examine these mood boards as a group to identify common themes for each student. This results in meaningful inquiries that are authentic to the individual. Natalie's mood board featured many thoughtfully organized and interactive elements, which became a key component of her AP portfolio.

Students early in the AP process create works responding to prompts that are designed based on practice, experimentation, and revision. For example, the “Power in Numbers” prompt guides students through creating 10 or more small works that come together as one piece. The “Inspired Revision” prompt asks students to build upon a previous artwork and describe how they use revision in a written statement. Another prompt requires students to create a three-dimensional model of a space from memory, then use the model as the starting point for another artwork, pushing students to use more experimental approaches. These conceptual prompts help students see the art-making process as an investigation rather than a series of stand-alone, conceptually unrelated “projects.”

Material(s): cardboard, rubber bands, glue | Process(es): Process Snail Pot

It is often said that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to become an expert in a field. Natalie is evidence that truly dedicating your time to a goal can yield unbelievable results. She spent countless hours over the course of years to art making, while jumping at every opportunity along the way. She entered art competitions, interviewed for summer art programs, etc. Sometimes those opportunities worked out, and sometimes she received the dreaded, “We are sorry to inform you, but…” email. No matter the outcome, Natalie remained consistent and undeterred. Over time, I’ve had the pleasure of watching her grow into the incredible artist she is today. I am thrilled to see her talent being recognized, but I want to make it clear that the real star of the show is the blood, sweat, and tears that she invested along the way. Natalie is a wonderfully kind soul and deserves every word of praise and acclaim that comes her way. I am so proud of you, Natalie!