Art and Design Commons^™

Fantissity, Alexandra N. Dean

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Image And Meaning In The Floral Borders Of The Hours Of Catherine Of Cleves, Elizabeth R. Schaeffer

Masters Theses

The Book of Hours of Catherine of Cleves, produced in

the Netherlands c. 1440-45, is one of the most beautiful and

complex illuminated manuscripts of the late Middle Ages.

The Master's originality in his symbolic use of floral

images in the borders of the manuscript is remarkable, yet

little study has been made of this subject. The meaning of

these floral images is, however, important to a complete

understanding of the illumination of the manuscript.

Using a set of criteria based on the tenets of the

Devotie Moderna, a philosophy strong in the Netherlands at

the time, I show that …

So This Is Progress, Edmondson?, Simon William Edmondson

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Surveying Computer Graphic Trends, Angela Bradley

Masters Theses

Computer graphics is a new tool for the visual artist. Historic and educational theories and facts outline the rapid growth of the medium and how it has become an essential tool for educators, researchers and businesses. Business applications remain at the periphery of computer graphic applications, but are included in the general trend of the new medium's development.

Visual art generated through computer graphic imaging is exemplified in the work of artists: Barbara Nessim, computer graphic student, Jim Squires, and the team of computer graphic artists, Richard Chuang and Glenn Entis. Nessim is a career graphic designer and artist, who …

A Brief History Of Metalworking Techniques On Armour, Cheryl M. Bannes

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Dreamworlds And The Art Of Illustration, Donna Crotchett

Masters Theses

While I was growing up, illustrations made deep impressions upon me. An illustration is a picture that explains and adds interest to the written part of a printed work such as a book. Often overlooked by others, for various reasons, this means of communication played a significant part in my life and art.

The history of illustration is a history of men and women, serious artists, who have produced an enormous amount of high-quality work. Many of their illustrations had their origins in fine art such as early religious painting and mythological themes. A large number of fine artists have …

Post Object Art And Sociological Influences On The Internal Processes Of Art Making, Steve Havens

Masters Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to discuss how external sociological factors inevitably have a profound effect on current art.

Much great art has been created against the flow of what is critically "popular" or "fashionable," but as these external factors become more prominent so the art work produced inevitably suffers.

The exhibition of Frank Stella's black and aluminum paintings at the turn of the 60's, in my own opinion, provided something of a landmark in the history of art. These works, in all their stark, flat, geometric nakedness denied both "form" and "content." They bare no illusions, no mythology, …

The Photograph And Superrealism, Christopher Stokes

Masters Theses

In 1968 an exhibition entitled "Realism Now" was held at Vassar College under the direction of Linda Nochlin, a noted art historian and professor at the school. The exhibition sought to present a cross-view of recent American painting in the realistic mode. Included in the catalog were twenty-five artists including Jack Beal, Robert Bechtle, Richard Estes, Alex Katz, Alfred Leslie, Malcom Morely and Philip Pearlstein, as well as many other artists who, at the time, were relatively unknown. The exhibition generated a great deal of attention, not only because of its recognition of contemporary representational painting as an influential movement, …

Eva Hesse: Art, Life And Absurdity, Stella Tripp

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Homosexuality In Art, Julian P. Wade-Salisbury

Masters Theses

Homosexuality in art is nothing new. It has existed for centuries. This paper traces, via relative examples, homosexual themes in art from the ancient Greek vases to the twentieth century. The paper is divided into four sections: Greek Homosexuality, Christian Traditions, 19th and 20th Century Art, and My Work and that of other Artists. Examples from these chapters have been taken and are discussed, with special reference to the titles.

In chapter one there is an emphasis on homosexual imagery found on ancient Greek pots, and the almost relaxed way in which the Greeks portrayed and lived with homosexuality. They …

Abstract Expressionist Ceramics: Peter Voulkos, Kenneth Price, John Mason, James J. Maher

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Female Figure Study, Jason F. Rockhold

Masters Theses

This graduate thesis deals with my feelings and interpretation of the nude female figure in my drawings, paintings, and sculpture pieces; as well as the representations of other artists. The unique aspect about this special object is the broad range of interest it has created through the years. Since the female figure has such great versatility it can be viewed from a realistic portrayal as well as from a complete abstraction, and still be creatively effective.

My intentions in this paper are to discuss other artists and my own work in relation to the female figure. The main portion of …

The Photograph And Photo-Realism In Painting, Nancy G. Odom

Masters Theses

This thesis is an attempt to substantiate the legitimacy of the photograph as a source and aid to painters.

Chapter 1. reviews various artists and major art movements of the Nineteenth and Twentieth centuries influenced by the photograph. Since the invention of photography in 1839, artists such as Manet, Delacroix, Corot, Degas, Picasso, and Dali have used photographs as a source of inspiration and help in achieving the qualities they desired in their paintings. Most major art movements since the middle 1800's were influenced in some way by the various developments of the camera and photography.

Photo-Realism, a style of …

The Influence Of Structural Painters On My Work, Susan Crotchett

Masters Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to analyze influence exerted on my painting by Charles Sheeler and Edward Hopper, and to pursue the development of my work.

In the first two sections of the thesis brief overviews of the work of Sheeler and Hopper are presented. Sheeler, classified as a Precisionist, was drawn to paint in a precise, sharp-edged, hard surfaced style that was itself machine-like in character. Edward Hopper, painting at the same time as Sheeler, was not classified as a Precisionist, but his art contains many of the same elements. Though he did not paint in a sharp-edged, …

An Exploration Of Intaglio Processes Influenced By The Woodblock Style Of Utamaro, Lenore Branchaw

Masters Theses

An exploration of the intaglio processes as influenced by the woodblock style of Kitagawa Utamaro is examined in this paper.

A brief introductory section is devoted to the history of European and Japanese printmaking. The Japanese, for the most part, used woodblock prints while the European artists more frequently made intaglio prints. The European intaglio prints were the work of one man while the more complicated woodblock prints were developed by the collective efforts of Japanese craftsmen.

The intaglio technique allows the artist to work with one plate, but many blocks of wood may be needed for effective linear design …

Painting From Photographs, Judith A. Poynter

Masters Theses

Based on the premise that all paintings should be derived from what can be visually observed at length, this paper explores the use of photographs as a painting aid to the artist. The paper has three main sections. The first section contains historical data, the second contains advantages in using photographic assists, and the third contains personal experiments by the author.

The paper incorporates a brief survey of twenty-five major artists who have worked from photographs with the benefits they obtained from this approach. The artists surveyed were from the seventeenth through the twentieth century.

The second section of the …

An Approach To Wire Using Textile Techniques, Toni Vallette-Satterfield

Masters Theses

Wire can be used in the same way as fiber in many textile processes. Wire is used to gain the same richness of texture that is exhibited in fibers and to capture the light reflective quality of the textile techniques.

The following processes are not for beginning students. Much experimentation went into the research for each technique. The first method is coiling. This technique is a single-element stitch process (without the needle), worked continuously over a core. The second technique is crochet, involving a single-element structure in which loops are interlocked in a continuous manner. The third technique is loom …

Two Sculptural Fabrications That Utilize Tension, David Robert Olson

Masters Theses

The problem chosen is one which utilizes the fabrication of parts to be constructed into a unified sculptural whole. The documentation of the fabrication of two sculptural statements is presented in this paper. A personal process of finalizing a finished piece will be presented. The works in the following pages are from similar ideas, yet different in their approach because of the two separate materials utilized--mild steel and quarter-sawed white oak. The first documented piece discussed is in steel; the second, in wood. What guides the approach to the works as sculptural ideas will first be encountered.

I am involved …

The Work Of Brian Sullan In Relation To Contemporary Non-Objective Painting, 1979-1980, Brian Sullan

Masters Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to explain my current body of work in terms of both personal interpretation and by means of relating it to ideas associated with a modern philosophy in painting that focuses on the relationships between the formal elements of line, space, color, and form, called "non-objective" painting. Painting becomes a statement about itself and the way in which paint is manipulated over a given surface. By disregarding traditional concepts of painting, the artist comes into contact with his emotions in a more direct way.

The first half of the paper is devoted to an explanation …

Photo Realism, Maureen A. Howe

Masters Theses

Photo Realism is the principal term used throughout this paper. I use this specific terminology, Photo Realism, so as not to confuse it with Super Realism, Sharp Focus Realism or Hard Edge Realism. True, many of these Realisms all mean the impecable clarity of subject matter, but, for my purpose, I am continually using Photo Realism to make it evident that a photograph was rendered to achieve an end result.

Using predominantly contemporary Photo Realists' beliefs and opinions as my main resource material, comparisons were made of their unique styles so as to present the various uses of the photograph …

Expressionism For Painting Sports, John T. Graves

Masters Theses

This thesis is an attempt to show that the Expressionistic style of painting lends itself to the Sports figure. The action and dynamic movement of the athlete can be easily portrayed by the slashing strokes and boldly suggested forms of Expressionism. By painting in this style the "feelings and emotions" of an event may be sensed. Sometimes the form is obviously exaggerated to emphasize this emotional quality or mood.

This paper discusses and illustrates the work of several sports artists who use Expressionism for their style of work. Leroy Neiman is probably the most famous of these, having worked for …

The Use Of The Blueprinting Process On Fiber, Lisa D. Larson

Masters Theses

This thesis is a summary of what one student has done with the process of blueprinting as applied to fiber. Persons interested in the dyeing or painting of warps for weaving may benefit in reading this paper as it introduces another facet of warp application.

The blueprinting process used is the same technique engineers use to reproduce plans and drawings. It is a nonsilver photographic technique that makes use of ferric salts which, when mixed with certain other chemicals and exposed to ultraviolet light, form a colored byproduct.

The research was begun with the study of the application of the …

Surface Treatment Of Metals, Dorothy Dunkirk-Bennett

Masters Theses

The purpose or this thesis is to relate to others my experimentation of various types of metals, and the methods employed to decorate the surfaces of these particular metals. The differences, and similarities in means of working with and decorating each type of metal used is also discussed.

The first part of the paper is devoted to a brief history of metal techniques. This gives a better understanding as to when the particular techniques were first employed and how many of them were almost lost with the arrival of nineteeth century industralization.

Techniques which I used, and the various means …

Exploration In Design, Graphic Communications And The Creative Process, Starla A. Stensaas

Masters Theses

In lieu of the traditional thesis, I have chosen to culminate the Master of Arts in Related Arts program with a creative project and a paper that describes and evaluates the completion of the project. The project involved a personal aesthetic and technical development of the aesthetic in graphic design and communications. Documentation of the creative arts project is presented in a portfolio which includes graphic designs, publications, and news feature stories. The project is interdisciplinary in that it involves skills in art (design) and English (writing) as well as effective interdisciplinary communication skills necessary to produce interdepartmental publications.

Included …

An Approach To Metalsmithing And Its Correlation To Specific Drawings, Susan Isabel Randall

Masters Theses

The paper is concerned with my approach to metalsmithing which is directly correlated to my drawings; developing the two-dimensional plane and evolving into three-dimensional metal pieces. The lines of my drawings have become stimulus for my metal work; resolving into strong, linear, textural elements. I discuss three pieces which I have created and some drawings relating the transitions from paper to metal and metal to paper.

My references for these creatures are usually drawn from specific areas which have captured my interest. I have been considerably influenced by Early Irish, Celtic art and the Medieval French Grotesque art. The Celtic …

Woman, A Vehicle Of Visual Expression In Contemporary Times, Tamara C. Bogue

Masters Theses

This paper is a discussion of a woman as a vehicle of visual expression in contemporary times. Certain artists have been selected for the discussion of woman as subject matter and as symbol. An overview is given concerning some trends that have an influence on contemporary society, women in that society, and consequently affect how women have been portrayed. The selected artists were chosen as representatives of "directional types" or "theme types" and some of the implications of their female imagery is discussed. The concept of woman as symbol in her historically recorded debut as fertility figurine ("Willendorf Venus") sets …

The Photograph As A Model In Painting, Denise Dale Plumlee

Masters Theses

No abstract provided by author.

Technician-Potter Versus Artist-Potter, Diann Marie O'Brien

Masters Theses

It is the intention of this paper to bring to the pottery student an awareness of the concept of technician-potter versus artist-potter.

The introduction defines the technician-potter as one who learns the technical skills involved in pottery making without going further into the creative, artistic aspects of his craft. An artist-potter is described as one who not only masters the technical skills, but also strives to be creative and make personal artistic statements in clay.

A thorough discussion follows concerning technique and the relevance of technical skills to the potter. It is concluded that the potter must master the technical …

The Ritual Of Torero, Harbert J. Jones

Masters Theses

The thesis project is to describe the art of bullfighting as a ritual. I discuss term and principles which are pertinent to me, and as a means of artistic self-analysis. The thesis project is to allow an exploration into a traditional form of painting which is a challenge and of practical value to me. In part, the reasoning and mechanics are to be solved. Beginning with the origin of the bullfight I describe the evolutionary state of human courage against animal force. The Spanish had a tremendous influence on the modern art of bullfighting on foot. The difficult thing is …

Low-Fire Salt-Glazing, Rhonda M. Cearlock

Masters Theses

The purpose for this research was to investigate the feasibility of using rock salt for glazing a clay body at pyromatric cone 04 (1940°F). Four clay bodies were used to see which reacted best with salt at cone 04. Experimentation with additions of borax to the salt were used to see how they effect the covering qualities of each body, as well as how they effect body color.

Engobes used in the tests had different amounts of coloring oxides mixed with clay body number one and water. Colors ranging from light blue, green, and different hues of brown were achieved. …