Art and Design Commons^™

Personal Details, Ben Nathan

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

In 2022 I lost my Paternal Grandmother. I found that in addition to the loss of a dear matriarch I mourned everyday things lost to the past. From furniture to childhood relationships, I was made keenly aware of their absence. As I longed to spend more time in the past, I created a studio practice of printing and drawing, whereby I enable myself to spend hours a day in quiet introspection, just drawing and reflecting on my life as expressed by personal details.

My work melds renderings of everyday spaces and objects from memories of childhood and my present experience …

The Day Before The Day, Marlaina Lutz

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The reason any particular moment has the potential to change the course of your life is because of the accumulation of meaningful moments that happened in between. The in between is where care happens. It’s where acts of kindness are done without witnesses and where vulnerability is met with an unconditional reception. It’s where trust is built and where our darkest and brightest parts become exposed. Can you remember what you did the day before you decided someone was your best friend? Or what you did the day before you spoke to a parent for the last time? What about …

Apotheosis, Zekiel Betzer

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Zekiel Dirk Betzer’s oil paintings are a visual representation of transfiguration – the elevation of daily life into myth. He believes that if we defer to monolithic ideologies to narrativize our life, we are prescribed a relationship with the transcendent, rather than discovering it, leading us down the path of ideological possession. He is principally interested in how we, as both artist and audience, invent meaning and how this invention informs the way we engage with reality; especially how objects or memories become sacred.

Tea Time With The Devil, Hamish Jackson

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Tea time with the Devil

Tea Time with the Devil began with the hypothesis that I could create a diverse palette of glazes from one local material. I chose to base my experiments on a granite from Devil’s Playground in western Utah. I collected its rocks, hauled them back to USU and crushed them into powder. Each glaze contains at least 50% of the Devil’s granite. This palette resulted from much trial and error — mostly error. Between 2020 and 2023, I ran thousands of glaze tests to formulate and hone these surfaces.

Why this place and material?

The wild …

Ni De Aqui Ni De Alla..., Jc Santistevan

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Ni de aqui ni de alla navigates the complexities of belonging to two cultures-Mexican

and American-while not fully identifying with either. By visualizing liminal spaces,

migratory patterns, and quotidian subject matter the work serves as a metaphor for

the Latinx experience in the United States-an experience defined by conflicts between

conformity and resistance, individuality and community, spirituality and secularism,

alienation and belonging. "Black and white are the colors of photography…..they

symbolize the alternatives of hope and despair," Robert Frank once said, and it is

through a nonlinear installation of black and white imagery that I seek to describe the

push …

Artifiact, Max Saunders

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The main purpose of this body of work is to explore gestural mark making and wood kiln effects on functional and sculptural vessels. A limited number of forms, including teapots, cups and large sculptural vessels were made to explore different types of mark making and the different effects that can be achieved in the wood kiln. The end goal was a body of work that can be explored on many levels, from using the pots as functional vessels to exploring the larger work as dynamic gestural sculptures.

Sweet Nothing, Austin Riddle

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

These pots were made as companions for you and your home. A vase for your table, full of freshly picked flowers as you and your partner eat breakfast and plan your day's activities. Large platters and compartment trays to present home-cooked meals with friends on a warm summer evening. Whiskey sippers that nestle in warm hands, topped off as needed from a half-empty bottle of Jack Daniels.

As a maker, I play these moments on repeat in my mind. As a designer, these scenarios direct the formal elements I develop for each piece. Pushing out an exaggerated belly on a …

Methods In Costume And Projection Design For Theatre, Jessica Wallace

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

A report detailing multiple practices for theatre design in costumes and projection. It is focused on playscript analysis, the design process, and the final build of the design for production.

Visions Of Science: An Art Historical Exploration Of Medieval Scientific Manuscripts, Olivia Brock

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The late 16th century saw a new movement in the world of science to push scientific ideas and practice out of academia and into the hands of the layman. No longer were scholars the sole proprietors of science –everyday laborers, craftsman, and artists now had practical scientific principles at their fingertips that they could incorporate into their professions. This new spread of science was facilitated in several ways, including the publication of books incorporating detailed, explanatory images, new utilitarian instruments, and public lectures. Though science was disseminated through a variety of means, I have been particularly interested in the ways …

The Los Seis De Boulder Sculpture Project: A Case Study Of Socially Engaged Archivist/Artist Collaboration At The University Of Colorado Boulder, Megan K. Friedel, Jasmine Baetz

Journal of Western Archives

As academic institutions and archivists around the nation grapple with the question of how to address existing monuments to racist histories at their institutions, how can archivists support the creation of new monuments on college and university campuses that reflect suppressed or oppressed histories of people of color? This case study explores the Los Seis de Boulder Sculpture Project, a socially engaged art project at the University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder), in which archivists in the CU Boulder Libraries' Archives supported and collaborated with a student artist and community members to create a public monument commemorating the deaths of …

Battle Of Algiers Movie Posters, Grant Bowcutt

Fall Student Research Symposium 2021

Incorperating moments in the film I found significant and impactful led me to design movie posters that have deep symbolic elements.

Film And The British Empire, Mckenna Broadhead

Fall Student Research Symposium 2021

My research focused on film and the way it has changed because of imperialism, more specifically the imperialism of the British Empire. During the time of the British empire, film became an important form of propaganda. As a result, many of the cliches we often see in movies, like 'Gunga Din' were created. These cliches were used to emphasize the importance of Britain's role in shaping foreign lands and their people.

Abstract Marketing Of The British Empire, Rachel Campbell

Fall Student Research Symposium 2021

A critic on the British empire using their own marketing tactics in a abstract way.

Imperialist Tourism, Aubrey Ball

Fall Student Research Symposium 2021

My three pieces of art explore how Imperialistic advertising works to create a positive view of Empire and colonialism. Throughout history imperialism has spread as societies have sought to expand their borders through force and more subtly through manipulation of the public mindset. Tourism posters are just one example of how positive publicity can gently influence general opinion towards support for Empire.

The Aberration Of The Species, Kristin Ayla Murray

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The Aberration of the Species in an exhibition meant to encourage viewers to consider in impacts technology has had and continues to have on the relationships and interactions we experience in daily life.

Common Objective, Josh Scott

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Pots are like people. Gestural qualities can make pots appear to move like people. They form groups in ways that people might. Repeated forms on a pedestal can appear to be in formation like a military unit. More importantly, pots perform specific jobs or tasks in ways similar to people.

Inherently, the job someone holds or the function of a pot will have an effect on perceived importance. A funerary urn may seem to be a more important form than a coffee mug, yet both are committed to specific tasks. This can be likened to a lineman and a doctor. …

Arid Visions, Casey Miller

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

“The vibration of this light, the spaciousness of these skies enthralled me. I knew there was a spirit in nature as in everything else, but here in the desert it was an especially bright light.”

-Agnes Lawrence Pelton

Arid Visions is inspired by my experiences exploring the deserts of southern Utah. The desert landscape is a bounty of diverse flora that appear alien-like. My work celebrates these plants, honoring them for more than what they are sometimes perceived to be. The desert can be an unforgiving place… where an agave’s mesmerizing layered leaves lure you in, but get too close …

Mélange De Motifs: Custom Pattern Designs Inspired By The Interiors, Architecture, And Gardens Of Vaux-Le-Vicomte, Jill Christine Harmon

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

How can a historic precedent be successfully employed to inform modern design? History will always provide a degree of influence in contemporary design. In design, a historic precedent can be the backbone of a creative concept and stands as a relevant and informative aspect throughout the project. The precedent acts as a basis in developing designs with substance and meaning and is a fundamental practice in architecture, landscape architecture, and interior design. Delving into the history of Vaux-le-Vicomte, often referred to as Vaux, provided three relevant aspects which compose the historic precedent for this MFA project. First, the creative initiative …

Reliquary, Matthew Sloan

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

I am interested in ritual – the rituals we inherit, and those we choose for ourselves.

By situating the everyday mugs, cups, plates, and bowls next to objects more closely associated with ritual and ceremony, I am suggesting that all of these are significant objects. On one hand, the tableware essential to the rituals of daily living we share at home, on the other, communion vessels and reliquaries are used to deepen a spiritual ritual shared by a community. Both rituals are important experiences worthy of introspection, and consideration.

This is why I make pottery. I believe that handmade objects …

Clothing Construction Curriculum: Exploring Gender Inclusivity, Shaelin M. Nilsen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Female students have traditionally dominated enrollment in Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) courses (formerly Home Economics). However, gender diversity has recently increased in many FCS areas due to changes in gender stereotypes and career opportunities. This trend is evident at Utah State University, where gender diversity in clothing construction (i.e., sewing) courses has increased drastically since the creation of the Outdoor Product Design and Development degree program. This study evaluated students’ experiences in traditionally female-dominant clothing construction courses.

Gender-inclusive courses are crucial for a productive and safe learning environment for all students. Avoiding personal biases and cultivating a relevant curriculum …

Spectrum, Kara Kellett

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Many people believe their memory works like a video camera, capturing and storing their experiences. However, memories can be manipulated or planted without us noticing. If this seems insignificant, consider the big consequences of false memory: although eyewitness identification of a criminal is often unreliable, it has an incredible power to sway a jury.¹

My interest in studying memory and my introspective nature has led me to create this series of work—a visual collection of my experiences as a spectrum of color and shape. These pieces have been influenced by age, emotion, personality, and bias. With each piece, I …

Pediatric Rehabilitation Outpatient Clinic: Design Focus On Invisible Disabilities With Sensory Sensitivity, Shelbi Boehme

Student Research Symposium

The focus of this research presentation is to design a Pediatric Rehabilitation Outpatient Clinic in Logan, Utah providing diverse therapy spaces for children diagnosed with a range of disabilities. The American Disabilities Act (ADA) implemented some good generic standards for accessibility for persons with physical disabilities, but what about universal design for all disabilities? Designing spaces for a Pediatric Rehabilitation Outpatient Clinic involves researching many different types of disabilities that would be treated at the facility. Particularly invisible disabilities such as Autism, Multiple Sclerosis, Asperger Syndrome, and Traumatic Brain Injuries. These types of disabilities are often left out when designing …

Addressing Orphanage Design, Megan Orme

Student Research Symposium

The body of society is the people in its communities. There are girls without parents or a home that lack the development to contribute to such. These girls need refuge. Creating an orphanage that modernizes the care of these girls is dire. This facility will help mend the societal processes for facilitating children without permanent homes and families. By creating rooms and freedom within a secure facility, girls will grow and develop prepared to contribute to society as they feel loved and built up in a difficult position in their lives. The purpose of this study is to address the …

Sink Hollow Volume 10

Sink Hollow

This year felt like a thunderstorm. Rain pelting down on us so hard it burns. Lightning strikes so stark we have to close our eyes. Thunder rumbling so ominously we feel it deep in our bones. So many things we hold dear have been lost in this storm.

But something we have found is the human ability to feel a raw and powerful pain. We are intrinsically bound to each other, to nature, and to this world by the pain we feel. A pain so powerful and deep you feel it is sucking you under and drowning you.

The pieces …

Dogs In Police Work, Jackson Morley

Fall Student Research Symposium 2020

This research project discusses canines and their involvement in police work. Why do we not have more police dogs? K-9 units are very effective and helpful, but there are also several drawbacks. Police dogs are extremely expensive, they also can be used as an abuse of power, having too many canine units also can be unnecessary for every event of police work. Having police dogs as a specialty unit in a specific region would be effective though.

Object Of Sublimity, Light: Particle And Phenomenon., Rachel Hancey

Fall Student Research Symposium 2020

This artwork visually explores how we experience light in the context of space and material through a series of screen prints created in part with funding from the Undergraduate Research and Creative Opportunities Grant. Preliminary research involved studying the works of the 1960's West Coast Light and Space Artists and the movement's subsequent evolution to the present-day, the interconnected phenomenology of light and space, as well as the existing and developing philosophies of aesthetics most specifically related to the Sublime in a contemporary context. The goal of this project is not to create work similar in appearance to that of …

Maladaptive, Megan Thomas

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This ceramics MFA thesis presents themes of environmental and emotional transition through metaphorical bird imagery. The artist juxtaposes humans and ravens, who are capable of adapting to changing environments, with songbirds, who are less capable of surviving change. The artist asks viewers to consider the loss of ways of existing in the world that goes hand in hand with loss of biodiversity. Works include sculpture, sculptural and functional vessels, and drawings.

Waiting Room, Adam Lefebvre

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Waiting can be exasperating, but sometimes that helplessness, knowing there is nothing to do but wait, is a comfort.

I have come to understand the value of the handmade through using and living with thoughtfully crafted objects. I am attracted to goods made by people who give voice to their material. When this is done well, I slow down and pay more attention to the object and the task they are performing.

Attraction and distraction. What are the differences between objects meant to attract our attention and those meant to distract? I would much rather lead a life full …

A Working Ideology For Graphic Design, Jeremy Nixon

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This exhibition represents an experimental body of work completed for the Caine College of the Arts. It explores the interplay of explicit and implicit functions within semiotics, while simultaneously communicating the college’s messages and honestly representing my own aesthetic ideals. Through the treatment of these explorations I hope to create an aesthetic experience for the viewer. That stems from my own ideology – which consists of a myriad of conscious and subconscious beliefs – that make up who I am as a designer.

My conception of form arises from an essentialist approach to space and shape. This conception developed out …

Sink Hollow Volume 9

Sink Hollow

Our world experiences radical change every day. With this change, things that used to make us feel grounded in our lives may not translate. Our realities may not hold true anymore. Through artistic expression, whatever form that takes, we re-examine what it means to be human after change.

Issue 9 takes a journey of re-examination during times of radical- and sometimes harsh- change. The collage of pieces we have curated re-examine so much of what I thought I knew and give an entirely new meaning to my reality. I would challenge you as you read this issue to re-examine change …