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Hózhó + Art Heals, Eugene Tapahe
Hózhó + Art Heals, Eugene Tapahe
Theses and Dissertations
The land where I grew up gives me a sense of purpose and belonging. It embodies the Navajo concept of hózhó, which represents harmony, beauty, and balance. Being in tune with this spiritual connection inspires me to bring people together through art and healing. I use natural materials like sand, sage, cedar, tree twigs, and yellow and blue cornmeal to create my art. To maintain the spirituality of my work, I employ traditional and ritualistic harvesting methods passed down from generation to generation. These techniques are deeply connected to the land and are essential to my identity as an artist …
Sometimes Windows Break, Samantha Snyder
Sometimes Windows Break, Samantha Snyder
Theses and Dissertations
The sensation of detachment and reclusion frequently gives rise to an uncanny and dreamlike space. Enveloped within this dimension, the quirks of memory become a fragile lifeline to bygone, intangible ideas of reality. Fixated on this threshold, my artistic explorations in print, collage, and assemblage navigates these elusive realms, rendering fragmented and distant shapes and figures in stark contrast to elements that evoke an eerie sense of familiarity. In this manner, my work invites viewers to embrace the disconcerting and unsettling aspects of the in-between, all the while establishing an unsettling connection to reality through the lens of nostalgic objects …
Still Life Happens, Mary Ann Crabtree
Still Life Happens, Mary Ann Crabtree
Theses and Dissertations
After dedicating over two years to pursuing an MFA degree focused on ceramics and sculpture, I find myself transported back to a familiar setting from my past: a tableau reminiscent of what remained in the dining space after four young children finished a meal and exited the room. Revisiting the scene recalls happy times despite the disorder. What helped maintain my sanity during the relentless repetition of the every-day-long task was the realization that every day, innocents are learning to become aware of the world around them. For my thesis exhibition, I created a tableau as a loud reminder of …
As If It Were One Day, Megan Rowley Stern
As If It Were One Day, Megan Rowley Stern
Theses and Dissertations
As If It Were One Day is a multimedia art installation that chronicles patterns of light, movement, and sound, channeling the fluidity of time within the newborn phase of familial living. After giving birth to my daughter, I spent the next seven weeks observing these elements and recording them via video. The resulting art installation acknowledges my efforts to navigate my current life as an artist and a mother, my past battle with postpartum depression, and my consequent gravitation toward light.
Validating Boyness: How Art Education Allows Male Adolescent Students A Space For Authenticity, Vulnerability, Empathy, And Connection, Stephanie Behlke-Mcfarland
Validating Boyness: How Art Education Allows Male Adolescent Students A Space For Authenticity, Vulnerability, Empathy, And Connection, Stephanie Behlke-Mcfarland
Theses and Dissertations
This thesis examines societal norms and unwritten rules for boys as they mature. It is hypothesized that most boys deal with emotional suppression or dissociation in varying degrees of severity due to traumas during their developmental years. This dissociation creates an inability to express their own emotions adequately and therefore affects their ability to empathize with others. A lack of vulnerability may also be a common challenge among boys society still considers vulnerability weakness. This pattern continues into adulthood and is then perpetuated through posterity and future generations. This thesis explores through a qualitative case study how using art integration …
Return, Leilani Bascom
Return, Leilani Bascom
Theses and Dissertations
Return is a video-based installation which includes sound, performance, and textile elements. Leilani Bascom is the lone actor navigating the water and where the water meets the land in this personal project exploring concepts of the life cycle from birth to death and rebirth. Life's paradox of struggle and release unfolds with imagery of battling through waves to swim deep underwater, fighting a river current and then surrendering to the flow, and carving a hole in the sand to climb into and be held. Viewers are immersed in the movement and sounds of water to witness the power and meaning …
Between The Garden And The Gardener, Sara Lynne Lindsay
Between The Garden And The Gardener, Sara Lynne Lindsay
Theses and Dissertations
My work uses plant material and soil as a record of personal, cultural, and ecological history. History is not only held in the buildings and monuments, but in the soil itself. I gather this soil and foliage from both cultivated and uncultivated locations for my artwork. Using traditional domestic techniques of drying and canning, I preserve the materials that I have gathered. These will then be sewn together, cooked, and encrusted into objects. Despite my labor of preserving, these organic art supplies are transient. When made into works of art, they can be viewed in their vulnerable state, fighting against …
Always Running At Sunset, Amelia O'Neill
Always Running At Sunset, Amelia O'Neill
Theses and Dissertations
My thesis show includes paintings that depict scenes of the trails that my dog and I frequent in Utah. These paintings are a response to experiences I have in nature and explore my relationship with my dog and the surrounding flora and fauna along the local trails. The paintings include images of rocks, sticks, dirt, trails, dogs, clouds, and dried sunflowers in the wind. In addition to realistic depictions of nature, my paintings reflect on the psychological and emotional state of being in nature. The title of the show is Always Running at Sunset, which is meant to be taken …
The Materials Of Traditions, Victoria Jensen
The Materials Of Traditions, Victoria Jensen
Theses and Dissertations
The homes we grow up in have a great impact on the homes we create as adults. Many of the traditions I saw in my childhood home were expressions of love within our family. These everyday traditions helped not only to build bonds within my nuclear family, but also with the chosen family I have formed as an adult. Repeating these traditions, or at least my best memory of them, has helped me in building my own home now. The ways I interact with my friends often reflects those same traditions I learned from home. I brought a few of …
Beauty And Decay, Chiung-Ling Jyan Siebert
Beauty And Decay, Chiung-Ling Jyan Siebert
Theses and Dissertations
The intention of the project is to create an environment where the viewer can explore and form a personal narrative in the process of organic interaction with the work. At first glance, the scale of the installation will attract the viewer to the exhibition, however, upon close investigation he will discover there is deterioration, decay, and mutation. The ideas of time, beauty, decay, mortality, and interdependence will be discussed in this paper. The visitors are invited to interact with the work. I hope through spontaneous interaction the arrangements from the viewer will result in evolution of the work. The balance …
Yo, Mi Persona Y México, Jaime Trinidad
Yo, Mi Persona Y México, Jaime Trinidad
Theses and Dissertations
For as long as I can remember, I have struggled with understanding who I am. What makes me is something I try to make sense of through art. When I started working on this my graduation show, the idea behind it was to make a portrait of the Mexico I know, but when the pandemic hit, I found myself locked down at home, completely alone in a new country for the first time. This led me to question my existence and the belief systems I espoused and prompted me to try to understand myself better in the context of a …
Pedestrian, Marissa Albrecht
Pedestrian, Marissa Albrecht
Theses and Dissertations
My feet are my transportation while living in the college town of Provo, Utah. When walking, I am drawn to designs found at construction sites and office workplaces, methods of labor that are executed sequentially. These designs lead me to think about laborious jobs that I have had and time performing mundane, repetitive tasks. Walking, photographing, gathering, and transporting used material to a workspace are the preliminary actions for my art practice. Creation emerges by relating material from varying environments through their inherent patterns, sizes, and shapes. I organize elements of the everyday in a new harmonious context with each …
Entropy's Child, Brandon Reed Boulton
Entropy's Child, Brandon Reed Boulton
Theses and Dissertations
Art, process, and materials offer me an escape from the sometimes-crushing realities of my personal struggle with chronic mental illness. Escape is often my primary motivator for making art. However, personal meaning and understanding sometimes come while I'm working in the studio. Sometimes the meanings of the work only become clear years later. Personal experience and experimenting with materials and processes have led me to an appreciation and awareness of entropy--the second law of thermodynamics. My sculptures use spontaneity, abstraction, and process to dialogue with entropy.
Aviary Of The Reverend William J. Long, Shae Lewis Warnick
Aviary Of The Reverend William J. Long, Shae Lewis Warnick
Theses and Dissertations
Humans perceive the natural world in a subjective and sensual way, yet over time science has turned the study of nature into a progressively objective pursuit. The Aviary of the Reverend William J. Long is an installation of anthropomorphic bird dolls that examines the roles of science and sentiment in our interactions with the natural world.
Searching For The Sublime, Kheng Saik Lim
Searching For The Sublime, Kheng Saik Lim
Theses and Dissertations
The influential philosophers Edmund Burke and Emmanuel Kant understand the sublime as events and objects that cause an emotional reaction so magnificent that the intellect fails to comprehend it. It is thus deeply felt and experienced but remains undefined and non-understood. Searching for the Sublime is a suite of paintings that seek to respond to these definitions of the sublime. Together they address and evoke themes of mystery, fear, power, and the unknowable through the medium of painting.
Pattern, Ritual And Thresholds, Jessica Amber Egbert
Pattern, Ritual And Thresholds, Jessica Amber Egbert
Theses and Dissertations
The work in this show reflects my interest in the role of the ceramic vessel historically as well as its place in the dialogue of contemporary art. Traditionally thought of as an object of craft and function, the vessel has found footing also as a conceptual container of ideas and artistic expression. It teeters on the threshold between craft and art, between art and life. Because of its strong association with the domestic, I find the vessel to be a fitting form on which to paint ornamental patterns and imagery associated with my own home life and to put into …
The End Of All Learning, Maddison Carole Colvin
The End Of All Learning, Maddison Carole Colvin
Theses and Dissertations
Science and religion are systems that work to organize experience into a manageable understanding of the world. Both of these systems gather information - one through mental/spiritual experience and the other through empirical/physical evidence - and then reorder it within a structured framework. They both work under the premise that truth is both existent and attainable within the context of their system. This separation is viewed as necessary in the knowledge/experience-gathering process, but when that knowledge is accumulated, neither science nor religion has the ability to access or communicate truth in its entirety. Plainly speaking, truth is vast and knowledge …
Portraits, Nicholas J. Bontorno
Portraits, Nicholas J. Bontorno
Theses and Dissertations
This paper is a documentation of and supplement to my thesis project, which is on display in the Harold B. Lee Library Auditorium Gallery from April 2 - May 25, 2012. The seven paintings on display are included in this report are found on the following pages:
Leann (18”x 24”) …………………………………………………………..9
Claire (28”x 36”) …………………………………………………………..10
Janell on a Couch (48”x 60”) ……………………………………………..11
My Dad in Winter (84”x 96”) ……………………………………………..13
Mel in Springtime (84”x 96”) ……………………………………………..14
Man on a Horse (48”x 60”) ………………………………………………..15
Danny Holding a Cat by the Ocean (28”x 36”) ……………………….…..15
Kenneth Burke, John Dewey, And The Rhetoric Of Aesthetics, Meridith Reed
Kenneth Burke, John Dewey, And The Rhetoric Of Aesthetics, Meridith Reed
Theses and Dissertations
Kenneth Burke and John Dewey each published books on aesthetics in the 1930s. These texts present parallel conceptions of aesthetics as holding a distinctly rhetorical role in society. My project is to line up these theories, focusing particularly on two key terms in each theory: Burke's eloquence and Dewey's expression. Together, these two terms explain what constitutes an aesthetic experience and explain how an aesthetic experience can open up individuals in a society to a variety of perspectives and identifications. As individuals are allowed to inhabit the experiences of others through their interactions with art, they are poised to …
Gesamtkunstwerk And Other Trifles: Poems, Derk A. Olthof
Gesamtkunstwerk And Other Trifles: Poems, Derk A. Olthof
Theses and Dissertations
In all their various categories, the arts serve as the dominant subject matter of Gesamtkunstwerk and Other Trifles. The title itself begins with a German word-meld—gesamt (total) + kunstwerk (work of art). Thus a primary aim of these poems is to bring as many elements of art together as possible and to use their various forms (self-portraits, nocturnes, odes, etc.) as metaphorical frameworks that inform abstractions such as regret ("How to Draw Regret"), psychological disorders ("Insomnia Nocturnes") and confusion in how one should feel about living realities as opposed to inanimate objects ("Dead Starling"). Most of the poems …
Fabricating Womanhood, Emily Fox
Fabricating Womanhood, Emily Fox
Theses and Dissertations
The exhibit, Fabricating Womanhood, was an attempt to explore the construction of gender and identity. While the artwork addressed well researched and documented feminist themes the artwork also stemmed from personal experiences and my coming-of-age process. The resulting installation included video, prints, painting, ceramics and found objects arranged in a set-like house construction of life-size proportions.
Ascents And Descents: Personal Pilgrimage In Hieronymus Bosch's The Haywain, Alison Daines
Ascents And Descents: Personal Pilgrimage In Hieronymus Bosch's The Haywain, Alison Daines
Theses and Dissertations
At the end of the fifteenth century, Hieronymus Bosch provided the foremost expression of the strict religious piety embodied by the Devotio Moderna and the impending embrace of secular humanism. As a result, Bosch's seemingly complex images provided viewers with positive messages concerning the journey of life through the use of binary symbolism. He utilized the pilgrimage motif as a guide throughout his paintings and in relation to the liminal spaces surrounding his works. This article will examine his important triptych, The Haywain, (c.1495-1516) as an example of spiritual paths taken simultaneously by both religious and contemporary figures, along …
Beauty, Ugliness, And Meaning: A Study Of Difficult Beauty, Christine Anne Palmer
Beauty, Ugliness, And Meaning: A Study Of Difficult Beauty, Christine Anne Palmer
Theses and Dissertations
The emergence of modern art, and subsequently contemporary art, has brought with it a deep-rooted deliberation of the definition of beauty and its role in the realm of art. Unlike many representational artworks, contemporary art less often contains a beauty that is readily available on the surface of an artwork- an easy beauty. Instead, it often possesses a beauty that requires substantial reasoning and understanding- a difficult beauty. Just as the definition of beauty has and will continue to be culturally and historically changing, so must our methodological and pedagogical practices in regards to beauty and Aesthetics. As Art Educators, …
The Indigenismo Of Emilio "El Indio" Fernández: Myth, Mestizaje, And Modern Mexico, Mathew J. K. Hill
The Indigenismo Of Emilio "El Indio" Fernández: Myth, Mestizaje, And Modern Mexico, Mathew J. K. Hill
Theses and Dissertations
As one of the major directors of Mexico's Golden Age of Cinema (1936-1956), Emilio “El Indio” Fernández (1904-1986) created films which for many came to express the official vision of Mexican identity. Part of this identity was based on the ideology of indigenismo, which posited that the pre-Columbian past held the basic kernel of Mexico's national essence while advocating the incorporation of modern Indian groups into mainstream society. El Indio's films reflect the paradox of indigenismo: praise for indigenous cultures and a simultaneous effort to make them disappear. The following study examines three of his indigenista films, María …
Beyond The Walls: The Easter Processional On The Exterior Frescos Of Moldavian Monastery Churches, Mollie Elizabeth Mcvey
Beyond The Walls: The Easter Processional On The Exterior Frescos Of Moldavian Monastery Churches, Mollie Elizabeth Mcvey
Theses and Dissertations
During the sixteenth century, the princes of Moldavia, a region of modern Romania, built many churches and monasteries. These churches followed the typical Byzantine style by placing detailed frescos on the interior walls, but some of the Moldavian churches took that tradition even further and expanded the frescos to the façade. This thesis argues that these exterior images were used to enhance the Easter processionals that occurred around the churches. While most scholars explain this phenomenon as propaganda or a cry for help against the Ottoman Empire, a new interpretation is offered here. It discusses how the exterior scenes on …
A Call For Liberation: Aleijadinho's 'Prophets' As Capoeiristas, Monica Jayne Bowen
A Call For Liberation: Aleijadinho's 'Prophets' As Capoeiristas, Monica Jayne Bowen
Theses and Dissertations
Throughout the late eighteenth century, many Brazilians became inspired by the political revolutions of the French and American colonies and sought for a similar type of revolution, hoping to gain independence from the Portuguese. One nationalistic group, the "Inconfidência Mineira," probably influenced the art of the sculptor Aleijadinho (1738-1814). Aleijadinho's work has been examined as a political message previously, but never as propaganda through the representation of capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian martial art. Capoeira probably formed as a means for Afro-Brazilian slaves to fight their way out of captivity. While training to fight, slaves would disguise capoeira to look like a …
And There Were Green Tiles On The Ceiling, Jean Catherine Richardson
And There Were Green Tiles On The Ceiling, Jean Catherine Richardson
Theses and Dissertations
In this document I shall explain my art process, and reflecting on my work, will explore the themes and emotions that evolved. I shall accompany the images of my MFA exhibition with personal poetic vignettes. These vignettes are memories and thoughts that surfaced both while making the art and while viewing the final exhibition. While the primary experience is looking at and being with my art, I hope these anecdotes and stories give some insight into my motivations and actions as an artist. In these stories I shall use my own voice; I am Scottish and will tend to use …
Ideals And Realities, Pamela Bowman
Ideals And Realities, Pamela Bowman
Theses and Dissertations
In order to produce work that prompts the viewer to undergo a process of personal exploration resulting in discourse and the understanding of feelings, it is necessary to balance ideals and realities, combine experience and creativity, and blend concepts and materials. Ideals and realities are discussed in this paper, using an approach that concentrates on foundational principles. The ideals of morality, beauty, goodness, acceptance, and unity form a foundation for the motivation behind my work. They are described in relationship to the philosophy of aesthetics. Ideals are contrasted with realities of life which have patterns and rhythms. These repetitive patterns …
Accountability For The Implementation Of Secondary Visual Arts Standards In Utah And Queensland, John K. Derby
Accountability For The Implementation Of Secondary Visual Arts Standards In Utah And Queensland, John K. Derby
Theses and Dissertations
Utah and the majority of states have adopted mandatory standards for visual arts, yet no accountability measures have been established. Consequently, it is impossible to determine if standards are being addressed in the art classroom and aggregate grades are subjective. Queensland, Australia instituted a system of moderated school-based assessment (moderation) in 1971, whereby assessment is accomplished locally, then verified by peer experts. Queensland ensures that standards are addressed in curricula and assessment and that exit grades are reliable and comparable. Research has shown that Utah and Queensland share comparable visual arts standards and similar demographics. Queensland moderation has been extensively …
John B. Fairbanks: The Man Behind The Canvas, Rachel Cope
John B. Fairbanks: The Man Behind The Canvas, Rachel Cope
Theses and Dissertations
A biographical sketch of artist John B. Fairbanks, this thesis primarily probes Fairbanks' evolution as an artist. From amateur, to art missionary, to professional artist, Fairbanks influenced his cultural surroundings in Utah and in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His commitment to his career and his impact on others significantly affected Utah and Mormon art. Thus it is important to understand and recognize the full portrait of John B. Fairbanks.
John B. Fairbanks, born on 27 December 1855, developed an interest in art while still young. Until reaching the age of thirty-four, he often worked as an …