Fine Arts Commons^™

The Reading Of Sir Toby Belch: A Queer And Black Exploration Of William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night., Jahi E Bogard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This MFA thesis explores queer, black representation in William Shakespeare’s drama and in the University of Louisville’s Department of Theatre Arts Fall 2021 production of an adaption of Twelfth Night (1601). Directed by Jennifer Pennington, the repurposed script and non-traditional casting targeted a modern audience. Cast as Olivia’s drunk uncle, Sir Toby Belch, I aimed to discover if my identify as a black, queer, cis man could be incorporated into Shakespeare’s text. Sir Toby Belch’s raucous, heterosexual, and sometimes violent, traits are often imagined today as innately masculine. I argue that Shakespeare’s plays can be appropriated by queer, black actors …

Rituals Of Belonging, Trecha G. Jheneall

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This ensemble is a (geo)autobiographical affirmation of the activities of water bodies, fiberboard drum barrel containers, and sound as well as their attendant rituals of belonging amongst People of Sub-Saharan African descent, particularly those belonging to the Caribbean diaspora.

Water as an ever-present life source serves as a dynamic metaphor for Caribbean people’s instinctive travel in and outside of the region’s soluble boundaries. The barrel container, often in transit analogizes the apprehension of displacement, congregation, arrival, or destination towards the desired feeling of security or place.

Elements of ritualistic practices located in migratory movement, music and labor are means of …

Blue-Collar Backroads, Hannah Taylor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The photographer discusses work in Blue-Collar Backroads, a Master of Fine Arts thesis exhibit held at downtown Tipton Gallery from February 1st through February 18th, 2022. The exhibit consists of 17 archival inkjet prints selected from the artist’s two-year exploration of rural backroads as a vehicle for creating images. Using aesthetic traditions of large-format film photography, the photographer poses questions of identity, place, memory, and the intentional pursuit of meditative practices in art. Non-photographic influences are listed, including Claire Wellesley-Smith and Elizabeth Catte. Photographic influences include Joel Sternfeld, Rachel Boillot, William Christenberry, and Mike Smith.

A catalog of the exhibit …

Where Do I Belong In The United States Public School System?, Christiana R. Becker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

I seek to inquire about the world as it relates to my identity as a first generation descent of the Penobscot tribe living in the United States by utilizing four methodologies in my research: life histories/autobiographies, narrative inquiry, a/r/tography and practice-based and practice-led. Through coupling my artistic practice with those four methodologies I am able to creatively show the information I have unearthed in hopes that others will benefit from a fresh and augmented understanding of what it historically and culturally means to be a part of a community that makes up a very small percentage of the United States …

Nocturne Series, Jessica Kirker

Honors Theses

My oil paintings explore the mingling of interior and exterior space. Each work in this group focuses upon nocturne scenes with the inclusion of reflections. Inspiration for my work comes from photographs I have taken while walking around at night or from the windows of the space I am in. I have also layered images to develop my own created spaces. Surrealism has played a prominent role in the development of these artworks. The elongated canvases reference the human form and the presence of the viewer in front of the work. With the size of the canvas in mind, I …

Self Portrait 2 // Room Of Mirrors // The Memory Is Not What It Used To Be, Maddie Hinrichs

Gandy Dancer Archives

No abstract provided.

Underneath It All, Kailey Maher

Gandy Dancer Archives

No abstract provided.

I'Ll Give You Something To Worry About, Brielle Sarkisian

Gandy Dancer Archives

No abstract provided.

The Mirror's Truth // October Rust, Erik Carrigan

Gandy Dancer Archives

No abstract provided.

Echoes Of Home, Hanna Traynham

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The artist discusses her Master of Fine Arts exhibition, Echoes of Home, held at the Tipton Gallery in Johnson City, Tennessee on display March 15 through April 8, 2022. The author provides insight into concepts and influences relating to the creation of the exhibition with perspective on her intimate connection with place and memory.

The exhibit features five installations addressing home, elusive memory, and the change and continuity of cultural traditions over time. The works consist of a series of large-scale wild clay vessels, gestural clay bookends, a wall installation of cups with a line drawing, suspended porcelain slabs, …

Telling The Story: Diabetes Prevention And Management, Brandi Caitlyn Frizzell

Masters Theses

Diabetes has been studied for thousands of years, however the root cause of this disease is still unknown. Although there are have been many disoveries for treatment options for this disease, there has yet to be a discovery of a cure. Diabetes is a worldwide epidemic that currently affects millions of people and is expected to affect millions more in the future. This disease often results in fatal health complications which contribute to years of life lost and mortality rates. The project proposes a solution for individuals affected by diabetes and those that are currently undiagnosed. The expected outcome of …

Next Gen: Guiding Dads As They Spiritually Guide The Next Generation, Deylan Michael Smith

Masters Theses

The spiritual development during the teenage years are pivotal in determining the religious and spiritual values as teenagers transition into adulthood. As serious as this stage of development is, there is a lack of involvement in the faith development of teenagers on the part of parents, specifically Christian fathers. With this lack of paternal support during faith development, the percentage of those leaving the church during adolescents and early adulthood is rapidly increasing. The aim of the research was to understand important milestones in spiritual development of teenagers, why Christian dads are uninvolved in this development, and best strategies for …

Me Tengo Que Ir, Eddy Leonel Aldana

School of Art, Art History, and Design: Theses and Student Creative Work

In Spanish, me tengo que ir means “I have to go.” “I have to go” as in go home, or back to one’s home country. As in leaving home for the unforeseeable future, hang up the phone, or pass away. me tengo que ir is also the name of a song by Adolescent’s Orquesta — a song about love, loss, and heartbreak over time that was always played at family parties when I was growing up.

In me tengo que ir, I use world history and personal memory to examine my family’s place within the Guatemalan diaspora. Diaspora is …

Wisdom, Brianna Olsen

Gandy Dancer Archives

No abstract provided.

Home (In A Body), Mollie Ward

Gandy Dancer Archives

No abstract provided.

The Irony Of Nike, Juliana Haliti

Gandy Dancer Archives

No abstract provided.

Transformation., Jingshuo Yang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

My works mainly show my perception of life and my change of thought. The world is full of changes, and the pandemic has disrupted our lives. Many people, including me, are confused about the world. Philosophy and my observation and thinking about the world helped me to have a clearer understanding of the world. My paintings Licia, Butterfly Woman, and Live with Covid reflect my understanding of German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer's theory of empathy. Within my art, I also use another German Philosopher Theodor W. Adorno's theory of the culture industry to deepen my understanding of some social phenomena. My …

Line As Site And Material, Analise Minjarez

Art Theses and Dissertations

This paper recounts my artistic practice over the last three years. I will describe the places, artists, artworks, and processes that have been meaningful to me in this time as I pursued my MFA and worked to understand my relationship to the living world. In the thesis Line as Site and Material, I respond to materiality and site through installation, sculpture, drawing, and video. I work with clay harvested from my hometown of El Paso, TX to connect to the personal histories of the borderlands and geological time. In the Second River Series, I walk in the empty riverbed of …

A Standardized Approach To Analyzing Multi-Cultural Presentations Of Christian Worship, Kevin Michael Segner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

With the growth of the internet, worship pastors can share fine art presentations of the gospel message from cultures worldwide. Since all cultures belong in the kingdom of God, pastors may struggle to validate fine arts performances according to scriptural standards. One of the concerns is the range of interpretations that come from a lack of formal analysis in the literature. Some critics write about fine arts performances based on their own experience and opinion. This may indicate a gap in literature where there is no uniform standard for evaluating those works. Rather than take time to research presentations, a …

100 Seconds To Midnight, Melissa Medina

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

My artistic practice focuses on the concept of mortality and investigates the human condition. Through my work, I often personify the concept of death and investigate the several forms that it may take across several cultures. The skull is most often used as a symbol of mortality, and it serves as one of the key elements in my work. I am drawn to the elements portrayed in classical memento mori paintings, and as a result, I have borrowed certain objects commonly used in these works and have paired them alongside more modern elements to create a new narrative. With this …