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Full-Text Articles in Art and Design
The Dark House And Its Inhabitants, Emily Bielski
The Dark House And Its Inhabitants, Emily Bielski
MFA in Illustration & Visual Culture
From the inception of the genre, Gothic horror has been fixated on the domestic space in distress. This essay explores domestic archetypes and roles of the Gothic novel, serving as a “tour of the house”, analyzing the iconography of the dark castle, and how it externalizes and exacerbates the fears and behaviors of its inhabitants. The power dynamic of the household is starkly divided by the expectations and authority of masculine and feminine figures. In turn the “house” becomes a vehicle for the anxieties of the inhabitants—both experienced and inflicted—regarding gender, sexuality, isolation, and abuse. Exploration of the visual and …
Superficial: An Exploration Of Decoration, Fashion, Taste, Camp, And Trends, Jillian Ohl
Superficial: An Exploration Of Decoration, Fashion, Taste, Camp, And Trends, Jillian Ohl
MFA in Illustration & Visual Culture
Since the rise of consumer culture in the late 19th century, Americans have had a complicated relationship with decorative objects, the idea of taste, and the cycle of trends within our classist society. This essay examines some of the decorative objects in my childhood home such as patterned wallpaper and an antique chair as well as a contemporary brand name mascara. While these objects do not have major functional properties, their decoration and superficiality bring me joy. To better understand my appreciation of decoration and aesthetics, I assess how an object or fashion is considered in good or bad taste. …