Arts and Humanities Commons^™

The Wound Of The Malinches [Las Heridas De Las Malinches], Leticia Margarita Lowry-Garcilazo

Theses and Dissertations

Since the foundation of Mexico, the Mexican culture has leaned towards chauvinism becoming a cruel and coward spectator of the violence perpetrated against women. As a survivor of violence, I was overwhelmed and tired of being blamed and told that I deserved what my abuser did to me and needed to get over it. I was told that as a woman I needed to suffer in silence – just as La Llorona. Because, as women, we are las Chingadas, we are Eve, we are Las Malinches.

As a statement to fight against my impotence, I created The Wound of The …

Retratos De Las Criollas: Fashioning An Identity In Eighteenth-Century Bourbon New Spain And Peru, Daniel F. Ymbong

Theses and Dissertations

This master's thesis will examine the iconographies of elite Creole women in Bourbon eighteenth-century New Spain and Peru. This paper is a comparative study of the colonial regal portraits of elite Creole women with emphasis on preferences in: dress, hair, and accessories.

Much of the pictorial format is informed by European styles and decorum, that is the Spanish and Italian Renaissance in materiality. The prevailing silhouettes dictated by the French Bourbons are adapted, but strategically morphed an identity for the colonial elites, as there were different preferences for colors, accessories, and hair.

My Culture Art In Healing Action, Fabian Chavarria

Theses and Dissertations

My Culture Art in Healing Action is the study of many visions, processes, and applications of art, the role of culture on the development on a personal, social, and multilevel of society development. Art has a major role in my life and my purpose as an artist is to advocate positive change on the lives of people around me, is my duty to promote the positive image of my people, by using my culture as a jump platform I would promote, family values, social structure, social conflict, social change, and the factors of personal development by incorporating my point of …

About Men: A Retrospective Into The Evolution Of The Male Form Through The Female Gaze, Laura Briseño

Theses and Dissertations

It is philosophized that subjectivity is founded on subjection, a subjection based on the view point of the viewer. Through the centuries the idea of the male form has been transformed through various representations from the context of art, architecture, and culture from Ancient Greece (Classical period of 5th and 4th centuries BC) to Contemporary art (1946–present).

The purpose is to create an exhibition that provides a female gaze on the representations of the male form through or in art. Examining how and why male forms are represented in the content we know them as of current curation. Which brings …

Might Be Tragic: The Lonely Voyeur In Narrative Art, Alexandria Canchola

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis paper discusses the work displayed as it might have been seen in the exhibition, Might Be Tragic. The work is inspired by and draws from narrative fiction, blurring the distinctions between our perceptions and our creations of reality. When one observes a narrative, they are unwittingly fulfilling voyeuristic tendencies by vicariously experiencing others realities or falsehoods. The exhibition challenges how narrative can function in a space. The process of walking through the exhibition, Might Be Tragic, brings the book, Not That Tragic, to life in a three-dimensional format exploring the intimate relationship one has with …

Redefining The Mfa: Artistic Pragmatism For The Twenty-First Century, Cristina Ann Correa

Theses and Dissertations

The twenty-first century economy demands a culturally-adaptable and technologically-innovative workforce. Despite the expansion of creative industry, at least half of academically-trained artists will work in fields unrelated to their studies. Statistics reflecting employment changes every three years parallel twenty-first century, pragmatic realities. Job seekers must consistently adapt and add to acquired skill sets to remain marketable.

Visual artists constantly engage in research and experimentation to move their practice beyond comfort zones. While many artistic processes can be learned through the internet, books, and observational study, the road to a career in academia must begin with a Master of Fine Art …

Art Of Katharsis: A Study Of Creating Abstract Expressionist Art In The Quest For Emotional Release And Healing, Maria Fatima Lai

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis paper discusses the art seen in the exhibition, Katharsis, is a body of work inspired in the quest to validate suppressed emotions pulling from personal experiences of grief and abandonment. The methodology behind the work explores the artistic process that enables the transformation of pain and grief. The research is guided by understanding the artist’s process through therapeutic methods found in abstract expressionism. Art produced in pain, allowed a process of healing and honest forgiveness. The vicious cycle of feeling trapped in the idea of letting go when you have not allowed yourself to understand, threatens the …

Flow: Fluid Meditations: The Study Of Creating Fluid Art As A Form Of Meditation, Eva Marie Williamson

Theses and Dissertations

This study describes the relationship of creating fluid art as a form of meditation. This type of art is relatively new [to include] within universities and within the art profession. Little research and writing exists at the doctoral level. Through the practice of the student, this study focuses on the process of creating fluid art as an experience to fit the method of meditation.

This study takes an academic and working artist approach as derived from documentation practices and creation of a body of work. The approach views the documentation of creating fluid art as a form of meditation as …

Client-Driven Creation & Professional Patterns In Modern Design: A Case Study Of One Vanderbilt Avenue, Joshua J. Schmitz

Theses and Dissertations

Design, though intricately tied to art through craft, concept and media, is the base converse of art. That is to say, Design is externally motivated by a client’s needs. This case study focuses on my professional work with the companies of S.L. Green and Firespring on the New York City skyscraper One Vanderbilt Avenue (OVA) and demonstrates how a creative concept can be altered through external factors, namely client input. My research will explain why a modern designer must occupy a production-oriented role and continuously leverage insight from an interdisciplinary team in a modern creative firm. The exhibition stemming from …

Culturality And Sentiments: A Visual Paradox Of A Modern Hispanic Woman, Iliana Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

For as long as I have been interested in drawing, I have always been fascinated by drawing the face because of the interesting individual characteristics of values and forms. Through grad school, my series reflects painted portraits of family and symbolized family traditions, which have opened questions about why I feel so uncertain of who I am. At first, these works were made to perfect technique but later evolved into depicting the inner battle of what is expected of me in my culture and what drives my passion. Using the grid method for most pieces, and referencing photos I analyzed …

Nature, Essence And Spirit: An Artistic Process Of Space, Lines And Color From The Level Of Cells To The Large Oceanic Water World, Odra O. Arriaga

Theses and Dissertations

The methods, experimentations, philosophies and influential artists mentioned in this thesis all form part of my artistic exploration and art from the level of cells to the large oceanic water world. As an artist of Fine Arts at the University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley, my main emphasis is to associate these concepts with my personal experiences, cultural traditions and artistic perspectives with my likes for lines, colors and spaces in what I called, Nature, Essence and Spirit. Furthermore, my artistic approach was mostly influenced by the views of artists such as, Vasily Kandinsky, Frank Stella, Piet Mondrian, Paul Klee, …

Narrative Art And The Portrayal Of Faith And Social Injustice, Raul Cabrera

Theses and Dissertations

The artwork I strive to create infuses what interests me and is important to me all the while taking issues I feel are important to address and incorporating them as well. In the case of the exhibit Spiritual Awakening, the passion of creating narrative imagery in the form of a graphic novel as well as the yearning to express my faith was the vehicle to bring to light many social injustices in the form of criminal activity from murder to corruption. Though these themes have been seen in different aspects in a variety of mediums, rarely have they been conveyed …

The Artists Journey- Strolling The Edges Of The Universe, Mary P. Williams

Theses and Dissertations

Space exploration has always fascinated me, and so has the idea ( so far fictional) that humankind may someday encounter extraterrestrial life. My series of paintings and prints are a visual expression of the awe and wonder I feel as I follow our species’s unending drive to expand the boundaries of its known world.

But the unknown is not just out there in interstellar space. And there are other lifeforms to encounter right here on our own planet. Another series of my paintings documents Earth’s flora. Our ties to the microorganisms, animals, and plants on our planet, and the life …

Love Sex God, Magdiel G. Alfonso

Theses and Dissertations

As a result of the absence of a father-figure and the repulsion of machismo, a love for that masculinity and a void within grew from the missing father-son/male-male interaction; this is the drive to codify my work with homoerotic imagery bathed with guilty religiosity through a torturous sadomasochist context to display a life-mirrored desire to punish and love the male simultaneously while feeling guilty doing it. The work is inspired by homoerotic and religious art history and at times the blending of the two.

The purpose of this work is not only to show the love for the celebration of …

Boricua Type: Intersectional Hybrid Transcultural Art Concepts And Illustrations, Isaac Santiago

Theses and Dissertations

The concepts and artworks contained in this thesis embodies most of the research that I did in and outside the University. My particular experiences as a Puerto Rican, born and raised, and as a migrant artist in Mexico and Texas. Most of the research was made by trail and error independently or with little to no guidance. In conclusion I found my artistic self: technically, personally, and reached a high level of commitment to our community as a prepared professional.

Study Of Creative Processes That Lead To Successful Visually Narrative Art Products, Denissa U. Kiehl

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The success of an artist’s work depends upon a few key factors. No matter which field of study you pursue as an individual it is important to examine and understand previously collected knowledge and works developed within that field. Once an artist has learned from the successful “Old” methods and examples of artworks he or she may then combine the “Old” with some of his or her “New” methods and ideas. When it comes to visual narrative art there is a large variety of visual art and other creations to learn from. Factors related to decision making will change with …

Difference In The Perception Of Political Art Inside And Outside The Art Gallery, Jose Maria Parga

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The purpose of the research for this exhibit was to explore whether a major difference exists in the way political art is perceived by an audience when the art is in an art exhibition and when it is seen in an urban environment. Since the subject matter of En el País de No Pasa Nada, is the current wave of violence and corruption happening in Mexico, the targeted audience for this exhibited is limited to Mexican people and people on the US border with Mexico. If there is a difference in perception, what does the work of art gain, and …

Reflections Of Oppression, Fatemeh Semiari

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This thesis is an investigation into the lives of women living in Iran. I develop a critical framework for understanding it. It is now my understanding that women suffer greatly from the restrictions they are subjected to. I discuss what some of these restrictions are, and how these pressures create turmoil and confusion within some women. The artwork created for my thesis project is a reflection upon the relationship between social proscription and a woman’s desire to express her individuality publicly. The women I portray in my thesis project exhibit a range of emotions such as anger, depression, despair, defeat, …

"Threads Of Belief", Erum S. Javed

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

As the needle pierces the fabric, the thread finds its way. As the needle lays its rhythmic path, the thread follows the needle, creating a specific sound and pattern. The needle and the thread together create something new or mend something old. As an artist I have found my direction, and sensitivity, the same as the thread that finds its way by filling and tying the spaces between other threads in the fabric. As I draw the point through every stitch, I am drawing a thought, a moment, an expression from past and present. I seek a thread, a theme, …

A Quest For Understanding Finding My Way Back, Juan Saenz

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

My work reflects my place in nature and how through its documentation I have been given the opportunity to mend family ties. In my paintings I capture the essence of those things that bring me peace of mind and good health. The aim of my work is not solely for the purpose of self reflection but also an attempt to bring my viewers back to a different time in their lives. The following works are an example of my direction and experimentation.

The Return To Aztlan, Eliseo Moreno

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

With this thesis I will focus on my Chicano artistic influences as well as on my life experiences as a third-generation Chicano growing up in the barrios of Browntown, “Tejas” (Brownsville, Texas) I will also examine in my paintings the Chicano identity; its culture, traditions, beliefs, and lifestyle. In this thesis like my artwork I will depict the myth of “Atzlan” via eras of the Chicano movement. I will start my writings with the mid-nineteen forties, the “Zoot Suit” era, which I believe is the original beginning of the Chicano movement, and advance to the nineteen sixties and seventies where …

Quest For Spirituality, Teodoro Estrada

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Quest for Spirituality is a body of work that confronted and validated suppressed spiritual experiences. I credit Our Lady Virgin of Guadalupe for my resurrection from ignoring my creative gift and bringing me home.

Desire for limelight, stability, and fulfilling the gallery-going public’s desire overshadowed numerous invitations and opportunities to explore spirituality. A fruitful lifestyle suppressed the nuance of spirituality never expressed until the silence vanished. My mother’s passing, a spiritual epiphany unraveled memories giving expression to these experiences. The vicious cycle of gallery going public’s desire for my art crumbled the day I returned to my homeland. Time has …

Edge Of Existence, Mack Liao

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The painting, Edge of Existence best describes my surreal world at its current state. The idea started with the crisis of global warming. I want to express the peril of the creatures that are on the frontier of the global warming effect. The idea for the structure of the painting came from a Magritte painting called, The Domain of Arnheim. He has transformed an undeniably grand impression of a moonlit mountain landscape by means of a mental technique related to that of Poe and his imaginary friend Ellison, who described a magnificent, complicated, and weird landscape in which the natural …

The Borderline Between The Personal And Political, Celeste De Luna

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This paper is a documentation of the form, content, techniques, and processes of the body of visual artwork I created for my M.F.A. graduate coursework. My work frequently uses themes based on the migrant/border experiences of women, children, and families throughout generations in the context of the larger American experience. My acrylic paintings on canvas, assemblages and installations validate Latino/Chicano experiences and invites reflection and learning. My work is influenced and relates to contemporary Chicano and Post-Chicano Art, Feminist Art, and the writings of Gloria A. Anzaldua.

Art, The Social Enzyme: The Emergence Of An Art Community In The Rio Grande Valley, Heaven Lashley

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This study explores the emergence of an art community in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) region of South Texas. In researching this objective, I relied on observations at many gallery public functions where I had the opportunity to observe the interactions between prospective buyers, gallery owners and artists. I also visited with gallery owners and artists many times in small group settings where I raised open ended questions about the region's artists and other historical developments that would allow me to put together a cohesive story about the emergence of the art community

This study began as an unstructured exploration …

Busted Flat Tire Mobility, Oscar F. Martinez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The work presented in Busted Flat Tire Mobility is an attempt to promote awareness about problems afflicting our modern society. Seizing on the opportunity to present my concerns through artwork addressing the issue of poverty in this culture, I hope to present an emotional and inspiring representation of the lives of those people whom inhabit the "Invisible America". This exhibition paper presents my belief that art can be a revolutionary tool in which to motivate people to act.

A Marionette's Dream, Veronica R. Jaeger

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

As an artist, I believe there is an open awareness and sensibility toward everything experienced in life which manifests through the spirit in form and imagery. Jean-Paul Sartre's affirmation, "You are nothing else but what you live", encloses the general concepts of my artwork and the starting point of my continuous questioning about existence and life, making a personal interpretation based on my own experiences and the spiritual concepts of eastern and western philosophies as Buddhism, Taoism, Existentialism, and Christianity. I had been an observer of the outside filtered through my own senses and beliefs, translated into the language of …

Micro_Cosmos, Rachael E. Freyman Brown

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This exhibition thesis and its accompanying exhibition invite the viewer to contemplate large and small connections to nature in our lives. How are backyard gardens a metaphor for the way our culture thinks of or treats nature and the environment? Do we have personal or spiritual connections to the land, plants, and the ecosystem, or do we see them merely as products for our use? The work in micro _COSMOS is an attempt to balance and unite paradoxes: the spiritual within the everyday, the natural and the constructed, and to come to terms with the constant cycle of regeneration in …

Searching For Wisdom Through Art, Maria A. Gonzalez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Wisdom is virtue humanity has sought since the beginning of its creation. Humanity will continue to search for wisdom throughout their lives. The book of Proverbs is a collection of ample advice and words of wisdom for those who seek it. It is a book that can be followed throughout our lives. My artwork is a collection of offerings inspired by the proverbs of Solomon. They are created to open up the minds of those who seek wisdom, it offers a visual interpretation of moral value that many time become lost in society.

Apocalyptic Surrealism, John Michael Bazan

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

My artistic philosophies and vision of the world are highly influenced by Surrealism, Symbolism, Romanticism, and the fantasy genre. My work is mainly Symbolic and Surrealistic, applied impressionistically and graphically, and made relative to the modern world by using religious and Apocalyptic Symbolism mixed with cosmic psychological dreamscapes of the universe. My vision of the real world is a symbolic “nightmare enigma”—like Dali's psychotic world of chaos and disorder. My imagery is associated with themes of chaos, war, death, and modern history. The academic term of Apocalyptic Surrealism is the broad mixture of religious Symbolism, political Symbolism, and historical Symbolism …