Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Postmodern And Early Modern Theology: Derrida Meets Calderón The Derridean Parergon And Painting Theory In Calderón’S El Pintor De Su Deshonra, Camilo Mejia, Matthew Ancell, Phd.

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Simone Heller-Andrist’s The Friction of the Frame ingeniously employs the Derridean parergon as a methodological approach to analyze the mechanisms involved in the reading process. In The Truth in Painting, Derrida uses the term parergon in the context of a frame in a painting. The parergon is the frame of a painting and a part of the work that is commonly disregarded but influences and manipulates the interpretation of the work. Hence the parergon presents an interaction between the canvas of a painting, and its surroundings. It is neither purely inside nor outside, but it performs and operation that acknowledges …

Michelangelo’S Rondanini Pietà: Construction, Creation, And Sculptural Meditation, Heidi Pyper, Elliott D. Wise

Journal of Undergraduate Research

I organized this research project to better understand Michelangelo’s final work and sculpture, the Rondanini Pietà, which contains an upright Jesus supported from behind by Mary (Fig. 1). Michelangelo labored on the sculpture up until the last days of his life, and it has even been suggested by John Paoletti that it was meant for the altar of his burial chapel.1The Pietà subject depicts the apocryphal moment following the Crucifixion, when Christ was removed from the cross and placed in Mary’s embrace. Devotionally, the Pietà aids spiritual contemplation and prayer.

The Women Of Guernica: A Compilation Of Interpretations, Heidi Herrera, Dr. Heather Belnap-Jensen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Although there is a wealth of scholarship on Picasso’s Guernica (1937) (Fig. 1), until recently there has been a distinct lack of analyses completed through feminist methods, an approach essential to a holistic understanding of Guernica. Conducting on-site research at the Museo Reina Sofía in Madrid, I focused on the women of the painting, studying preparatory drawings and works in which Picasso’s representation of women often borders on violent, painting them as monstrous and agonized. The correlation between Picasso’s previous representations of women and Guernica’s harrowing display of women and animals in pain participates within the Spanish artistic tradition in …

Exploration Of The Feminist And Judaic Components In The Art Of Bracha L. Ettinger, Hannah Sandorf, Heather Jensen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Bracha L. Ettinger is considered by many contemporary art scholars as one of the most important living artists of our day that addresses cultural trauma transferal. The child of Jewish immigrants who escaped the Lodz Ghetto, Ettinger grew in Israel, becoming interested in the wealth of different cultural and religious perspectives that thrive in the city. She eventually left Israel to pursue a PhD in psychology in France and now teaches psychoanalysis at the European Graduate School, focusing on her own theories of the Matrixial Borderspace. Because of her many influences, her art is extraordinarily complex and rich with symbolic …

Painted Ladies Of Rome: The Role Of Beauty In Defining Female Excellence, Casandra Ball, Michael Pope

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Ancient Rome was a culture obsessed with excellence, and much scholarly ink has been spent identifying and elucidating the intricate matrix of ideal Roman masculinity. Meanwhile, relatively little scholarly attention has been paid to the concept of feminine excellence, or the means by which Roman women attained social or personal value. The purpose of this project was to examine the position of Roman women within greater Roman society, and to identify the standards used to typify ideal Roman womanhood. I posited that adherence to rigid beauty standards was a significant means by which Roman women could contribute symbolic and tangible …

Photo Reference Library The Creation Of A Desperately Needed Figure Drawing Reference Library For Design And Art Students, Gregory Bean, Robert Barrett

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The idea for this project arose from the need to provide BYU Design and Art Students with an appropriate photo reference for life drawing. Solid drawing skills have always been the foundation for most visual arts. For hundreds of years, artists have learned those skills by spending countless hours drawing the human figure. Even during times when figurative art was overshadowed by more abstract forms, BYU continued the traditional teaching methods in order to help young artists gain the skills needed for more figurative pursuits like animation and illustration. That tradition continues today; however, unlike most art schools, BYU does …

Perspectives On Family Values: A Photographic Exploration Of Memory And Home, Stephanie Froelich, Robert Marchoian

Journal of Undergraduate Research

This ORCA grant funded phase one of a long term project documenting the lives and stories of my two sets of grandparents who live in different geographic areas of Canada. Through the guidance of my mentor, and through the opportunities he provided to meet with other artists, I was able to shoot, edit and print a set of highly curated photographs for display in a public gallery. Something I treasure about being a photographer is the opportunities it creates for me to understand the world around me. This project gave me an opportunity I may never have taken before: I …

Fading The Lines: A Photographic Essay On Bajan Religious Tolerance, Ashley Gordon, Dr. Jerry Garns

Journal of Undergraduate Research

During the summer of 2017, I traveled to the island of Barbados to better understand and accurately document two of the island’s diminishing religions: The Apostolic Spiritual Baptists and the Rastafari. I wanted to photograph the Bajan people in such a way as to display and emphasize the light and hope that their faith creates on both individual and communal levels.

Relic Hunter — A Student Multidisciplinary Video Game Development Project, Sam Nielson, Seth Holladay, Justin Kunz

Journal of Undergraduate Research

We set out with the objectives to create a fully-working slice of a video game, to develop art pieces for students’ portfolio pieces, to help students develop leadership and team skills, and give our students a chance to collaboratively work out the interlocking bits of knowledge necessary for something as complicated as a game project. In addition, we hoped the project would help students develop professional relationships, and create mentoring opportunities for students on future projects. The project hit all of these objectives and even exceeded in some areas. The most important target was to have the students bring their …

Haskell Island Woodcut And Letterpress Book, Adrian Tidd, Linda Reynolds

Journal of Undergraduate Research

When the word printing is used nowadays, it generally refers to the act of sending a file via computer to a machine that sprays ink onto cheap office paper. The result of such printing is plain white paper with imagery or text laid out in a pattern of small ink dots. There is no human element or quality in this process and the result is mediocre; even if quality paper is used, there is no character in the final outcome and the ink typically rubs off with very little effort. The project I proposed was to explore older methods of …

A Portrait Of Stanley: Preserving History Through Art, Amy Clegg, Robert Barrett

Journal of Undergraduate Research

A Portrait of Stanley: Preserving History Through Art was an idea born by two of my greatest passions. My love for painting, and my love for the outdoors. By the outdoors, I mean particularly the Sawtooth Wilderness that I have grown to know and love in Stanley, Idaho. My project’s purpose was to help preserve the history of Stanley, Idaho by painting a portrait of a historical figure that would be combined in educational displays to help encourage continued appreciation and care for this beautiful region.

Looking At Concepts Of Thresholds And Talismans In Islamic Art To Create A Body Of Work, Jane Christensen, Peter Everett

Journal of Undergraduate Research

I have been interested in systems of structure and calculation and how those systems manifest visually. In Rosalind Krauss’ essay on grids, she discusses the function of a grid to “map reality,” or using the grid as a tool to explain and interpret. When I first read this I became intrigued by the idea that the abstract grid can transform information into a literal object; perhaps, explaining the unknown. I thought about the prominence of the grid and geometric systems found in visual culture. I had already been creating work dealing with concepts of structures and patterns that refer to …

Dislocation: An Exploration Of Cultural Hybridization In The Arts, Aloe Corry, Peter Everett

Journal of Undergraduate Research

My exhibition, titled Out of Order, was a series of paintings and two-dimensional artworks that explored the idea of dislocation that can occur physically, mentally, and culturally. Feelings of dislocation come most often to me as I move from a space I am comfortable in to a space that I have not yet encountered, especially when I am exposed to new ideas, images, and experience. However, one of the fastest ways for me to encounter dislocation is through travel. Because of this, I decided to create most of the works for this exhibition, Out of Order, during and after a …

My Burden, Alena Randolph, Bryon Draper

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Throughout the past year, I have been working to create a sculptural piece that conveys the conflict side of the human condition; namely the burdens we all carry. This is an ongoing project, estimated to be completed in Fall 2016. My hope is to display it in the upcoming Zion Art Competition. Afterward I hope to continue to show it to a variety of audiences in an effort to create further discussion on the subject matter.

The Medicinal Plants And The Traditions Of Nepal And Tibet: How Spiritual And Artistic Traditions Inform Our Appreciations Of The Landscape, Ellie Gillett, Mark Graham

Journal of Undergraduate Research

For my project, I traveled to Nepal with Dr. Mark Graham. I studied medicinal plants that I came in contact with as we hiked in the Everest region. I studied how these plants fit into Tibetan traditions and how they were significant to the culture of Nepal and India. The local plants I came in contact with were recorded, illustrated, and compiled. Upon returning from my travels I researched more cultural understandings and facts about the specific plants I encountered. I then compiled my book by inputting my drawings into the computer to create templates for a letterpress. After creating …

System Design To Reduce Risk Of Cranial Injury For Servicemen & Servicewomen, Stefan Leimer, David Morgan

Journal of Undergraduate Research

With over 320,000 of our troops returning home with traumatic brain injuries over the course of only six years, brain injuries among U.S. servicemen and servicewomen have become a growing concern. The purpose of this project is to assess the current risks these individuals are facing and to design solutions that provide meaningful protection.

Extensive research was conducted into the epidemiology of traumatic brain injury (abbreviated as TBI) among military personnel deployed abroad. Though the government has long had an extensive program for documenting and reporting injuries, TBI has only recently begun to be recorded and reported. In an effort …

Women In Engineering And Technology Barriers Project, Carrie Etherington, David Morgan

Journal of Undergraduate Research

With women making up less than 18% of positions in engineering and technology fields, I feel there are many doors that still can be opened. My intention with this project was to identify what was acting as a barrier keeping women from these fields and to use euthenics (a science concerned with improving the human experience through the improvement of its environment) to make project development spaces often used by individuals in these fields places where more people are welcomed and comfortable. I specifically wanted to see if there were any physical factors that were keeping women from these fields.

2015 Japanese Field Project, Bradley Duke, Justin Kunz

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Alongside my mentor, I have been working to create an illustrated collection of Japanese stories. Originally, I had a team of 5 BYU students, that were to select a story, research it, and develop it into a cohesive and beautiful volume; we were also working with the Japanese Department so we could collaborate with the Kyoto University of Art and Design. Unfortunately, we were unable to collaborate with the Japanese University, and we had to narrow the project scope.

Iceland Through The Eyes Of William Morris: An Aesthetic Antithesis To England’S Industrial Revolution, Emily Snow, James Swenson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The project for which I received an ORCA grant in the 2014-2015 academic year stemmed from my senior thesis project, a requirement for graduating with a bachelor’s degree in art history and curatorial studies, which I did in August 2015. The senior thesis project includes writing a 15- page research paper and giving a ten-minute formal. My topic of choice was the connection between William Morris’s textile designs c. 1875-1885 and his travels to Iceland in 1871 and 1873.

Food As A Cultural And Human Experience: Exploring The Italian Social Traditions Around Food Through Photography, Sarah Wight, Paul Adams

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Last June, I set out with camera in hand to explore the Italian social traditions around food. I wanted to capture what mealtimes mean to Italians, and how they differ from Americans. I planned to create a body of work that acts as a window into the Italian culinary culture.

Increasing Student Innovation: A Collaborative, Cross-Discipline Approach, Paul Skaggs

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The objective of this grant was to strengthen student and faculty understanding and use of innovation. To accomplish this objective this project focused on the development, teaching, and assessment of innovation curriculum.

Ang Simpleng Buhay: The Simple Life, Alyssa Stromberg, Robert T. Barrett

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The purpose of this project/art show is to illustrate the simple, humble lifestyle that is found in the Philippines in a way that affects viewers’ outlook on life and their core values.

Artistic Practice And Domestic Experience In New Zealand, Alexis Ostraff, Gary Barton

Journal of Undergraduate Research

For a while now I’ve been interested in the role that food plays in the interaction between individuals and groups of people. In my own home growing up I learned to love food and the gatherings that food facilitated, especially family meal-times. I more recently developed the desire to look further into how food affects our lives. For my ORCA project I wanted to observe interactions surrounding food in homes different from my own. I was curious about cultural similarities and differences, and wondered what I could learn in others homes that would influence my artwork as well as my …

The Filippini Project, Courtney Mcwhorter, James Swensen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In Argentina, many of the artists outside of the capitol are not studied despite how important they might be to the history of Argentina. I was once passing through a town in La Pampa, and I walked into a local museum. On a temporary display, I saw beautiful photographs taken from the 1920s and later. As a student of art history, I was intrigued by the works and wanted to know more about the photographer. I asked the lady at the museum if there was a pamphlet or book about the artist that I could purchase to learn more about …

Another Look: A Rephotographic Survey Of Giovanni Paolo Panini’S Works, Kendra Harris, James Swensen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Giovanni Paolo Panini was a famous painter during the 18th century, and is mainly known as a vedutisti, or view painter. He is notable for his paintings of Rome, which often incorporated fantastical landscapes of the most renowned sites of the city.1 The purpose of this project was to recreate sixteen of Panini’s most famous works of art through photography, capturing the modern appearance of some of the most famous sites in Rome. By completing this research project, I have been able to document the ever-changing cityscape of Rome and continue Panini’s work of capturing the art and architecture of …

Adriaen Van De Venne’S Skating Owls (1620-1660), Sarah James Dyer, Martha Peacock

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Although some scholars think that Skating Owls (1620-1660) by Adriaen van de Venne (Fig. 1) is solely a lighthearted piece, I have found that through his use of iconographic imagery and well-known proverbs, van de Venne was able to generate a work of art intended to portray a moralizing message condemning the vice of adultery and warning the male audience about the dangers of cunning women. It was imperative for my thesis to see the artwork in person to conduct further research and gain a greater knowledge about the artwork’s purpose. Very little is known or has been published on …

Visual Research Of Delacroix, Drew Rane, Peter Everett

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The paintings of Eugene Delacroix show an exception power and emotion. Delacroix uses the human figure and color in order to express emotion. There continues to be an important place for the use of representation of the human figure in contemporary art. This is through the expressive quality that avails itself through use of the figure. Though the widespread popularity of the human figure in art waxes and wanes there continues to be a need filled by the figure. The representation varies widely from traditional academic accurate representation to an abstracted form to an even more distanced use with contemporary …

Application Of Piaget’S Cognitive Development Theory To Art Education In A Multicultural Setting, Kaled Ostraff, Dan Barney

Journal of Undergraduate Research

My project’s aim was to apply Piaget’s cognitive developmental theory to art education. His theory describes the process children use to create views or schemas of the external world. He was “intrigued with the reasons children gave for their wrong answers” (McLeod, 2012). I was interested in analyzing drawings of children from two different cultural sites. To investigate what impact culture and the experiences of children have on the development of those children’s schemas as expressed through their drawings. I went to two sites: Summit Academy in Utah and Sylvia Park School in New Zealand.