Art and Design Commons^™

"Inspired Industry.", Amanda M. Dock

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis supports the Master of Fine Arts exhibition entitled "Inspired Industry" at Johnson City Area Arts Council, Johnson City, Tennessee, from November 14 - December 22, 2005. It is the culmination of studies and research affected by the artist's own industry vis-à-vis personal inspirations, including: discussion of aesthetics and personal utilization of the techniques learned in relation to both functional and non-functional ceramic forms. This is a self-evaluation of personal preferences and how this body of ceramic work evolved.

Motivating Students For Success In Art Education., Melissa M. Leonard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study is intended to analyze the differences of elementary age students from two different public elementary schools and their motivation to learn about art. The analysis will compare and contrast the results of my efforts as an art educator to present the same curricular information to both groups of students.

I have examined the demographics, the parent involvement, and the other areas affecting the students of the two schools in which I have taught during my seven years as an elementary art educator. My purpose in completing this study has been to better understand how to meet the needs …

Searching For Wisdom Through Art, Maria A. Gonzalez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Wisdom is virtue humanity has sought since the beginning of its creation. Humanity will continue to search for wisdom throughout their lives. The book of Proverbs is a collection of ample advice and words of wisdom for those who seek it. It is a book that can be followed throughout our lives. My artwork is a collection of offerings inspired by the proverbs of Solomon. They are created to open up the minds of those who seek wisdom, it offers a visual interpretation of moral value that many time become lost in society.

"Barangay"-My Community, My Family, Maraiah Wenn Collier

Art and Design Theses

Our lives (hopes, ideologies, ambitions) are shaped by what we remember. Personal change stirs our memories and enforces our belief systems and our behaviors. Therefore, our memory can predict who will we become in the future. As an artist, I am constantly observing the world around me. However, with my own transition into adulthood, I became more aware of the changes occurring within myself. In preparation for my own family, I am overwhelmed with wonderful memories of the two communities that support me: my mother’s Filipino family and my Southern one. Even though the two communities are on two different …

A Solemn Assembly., John Michael Cline

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A group of oil paintings completed in partial requirement of my MFA degree is discussed. The paintings are on wood panels and are the result of a combination of old master techniques of under-painting and glazing and more contemporary approaches to the painting process. Each painting represents a particular concept or event from Mormon theology; whereas, the pictorial structure is inspired by Medieval manuscript painting. Thus, this body of work is a synthesis between two worldviews existing centuries apart, yet sharing certain core values and beliefs.

Mud And Ashes., Timothy Mcdonald

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The artist discusses the work in Mud and Ashes, his Master of Fine Arts exhibition held at Slocumb Galleries, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee, from March 28 to April 1, 2005. The exhibition marks a turning point in the artist’s work, occupying a beginning place as he completes his graduate career. The work consists of fifteen paintings and one sculptural installation. The paintings are on paper and employ local materials such as red clay, pollen, and beeswax along with traditional artist’s materials such as oil and charcoal. Fire and a power sander have also been used as …

A Promenade Through Paris, Kelley Voegelin

Honors Capstone Projects - All

I have written and illustrated a short story that takes place during one day in Paris, France. The story is drawn from my own experience living in another culture. I have created a main character that brings the reader through the story. Along the way the reader visits wonderful places in the city of Paris and learns snippets about Parisian culture and lifestyle.

The text and artwork themselves appear in a book that I have made by hand. I began by inventing a unique paper of a cotton base, lilies, cattails, and other starchy plants. At the end of the …

Through Doors: Every Door Takes You Someplace Completely New, Gareth Manwaring

Honors Capstone Projects - All

Through Doors is a 30-minute experimental action-adventure fiction film. The film is fueled by the premise: “What if every door you walked through took you someplace completely different?” It was shot in Syracuse, New York, with collaborations between the community and students at Syracuse University. The sound track was composed by local artists Joe Driscoll, Ryan Zara and Gregg Yetti. Through Doors was shot using the Panasonic DVX100 24p camera which gave the final piece the look of film, even though it was shot in a digital format. Through Doors is a work of art for entertainment purposes as well …

On Earth, Laura Mariposa Williams

Honors Capstone Projects - All

When Junior year arrived, along with the opportunity to start a thesis project, Kristina Foley and I agreed that this was right opportunity for us to create a body of collaborative art works. From there we decided to present our final works at Spark Gallery. Our show, On Earth, is a collection of works in varying media. Overall, we have three videos, two narrative, photographic series, two mural photographs, a driftwood sculpture, felted pelts and photographic frames, a book of poetry and drawings held in knitted pouches, and a shadow cloth mural.

What does it mean to be working …

Good Society, Lindsay Dedario

Honors Capstone Projects - All

My senior honors thesis is an illustrated book which renders various snapshots of people and events encountered while I was living and volunteering in Ecuador during the summer of 2004. Each snapshot brings to life some aspect of the human condition which transcends the boundaries of culture, qualities which are intrinsic to humanity despite our vast surface value differences.

I used a fairly tight, lyrical voice combined with a borderline journalistic approach to textually communicate each snapshot. This is not intended to over romanticize the piece or to ignore the fact that this society had problems like all others. Rather, …

On Earth, Kristina Foley

Honors Capstone Projects - All

My thesis project is structured around a friendship that grew into an artistic collaboration. Laura Williams and myself, Kristina Foley, pulled our resources and concepts together from two seemingly disparate fields of art, Fiber Structure and Interlocking and the Media Art Program, to explore our personal identification with Feminism, magic, and the role of art in illustrating history through revealing perspectives often kept hidden. Using fibers and textile pieces we explore a women’s history that has been kept private and held close to the body, while simultaneously using video and photography to re-imagine how the female is projected into the …

A Place Apart: Myth And Sacred Space, Diana Hazel

Honors Capstone Projects - All

“When old myths are lost, new ones are needed. Myths flourish and fade and die, but new myths are born, old ones are resurrected, and hybrid forms combining new and old emerge when times change or cultures mingle” (Graves: 1959, 9).

The original concept of this project was to create a CD-ROM database of mythology from various cultures and time periods throughout history. The first few months of my work were carried out with this end in mind. Since then, the project has taken a more personal turn. Instead of presenting the mythologies of other people, I have created my …

Apocalyptic Surrealism, John Michael Bazan

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

My artistic philosophies and vision of the world are highly influenced by Surrealism, Symbolism, Romanticism, and the fantasy genre. My work is mainly Symbolic and Surrealistic, applied impressionistically and graphically, and made relative to the modern world by using religious and Apocalyptic Symbolism mixed with cosmic psychological dreamscapes of the universe. My vision of the real world is a symbolic “nightmare enigma”—like Dali's psychotic world of chaos and disorder. My imagery is associated with themes of chaos, war, death, and modern history. The academic term of Apocalyptic Surrealism is the broad mixture of religious Symbolism, political Symbolism, and historical Symbolism …

Journey From Home, Benjamin P. Varela

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

My art Is built on a foundation of personal experiences: First, as a child In New York City and Puerto Rico, and second, as a man learning his craft in universities and workshops in Wisconsin, Illinois, Texas, and Mexico. I categorize this deductive process as the emergence of the personal "Me,” because most artists develop a visual language of signs and symbols that has been shaped by the artist’s family, education, and personal experiences. It is also a deductive process that has shaped the personal “Me” through an analysis of my movement away from pernicious generalities, characterized by living under …

Heading Out, Bridget Noel Short

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

I consider myself a conceptual artist. My paintings and sculptures revolve around the contours of time - its movement, construction, and meaning. Awestruck by the fleeting feel of disaster and beauty my work maintains a sexy feel that never embodies rigidity, but rather emulates feminine elements. Intrigued by the same psychoanalysis that has grasped the attention of so many artists since the 20th century it is through symbolism and metaphors that my ideas are reached. Seeking the deeper meaning in things my paintings and sculptures try to express the aggregate of what I view as "time." The components and processes …

Art Of The Astrolabe, Heather Suzanne Campbell

Archived Theses and Dissertations

The astrolabe is a well known scientific instrument, commonly found in Islamic art collections. Despite its placement in art museums, it does not receive the same examination or discussion as other metalwork. This leads to errors in dating and place of origin when an instrument that lacks a dedication inscription or a signature.

This study places the astrolabe in an art historical context and not a scientific one.

Much literature has been written on this instrument concentrating on the scientific nature of the instrument or as part of a collection of scientific instruments. Its history, function, place in society and …

Memories We Forget, Michael Dax Iacovone

Theses and Dissertations

I have always preferred the journey to the destination. When I was growing up, my family drove back and forth between Florida and New York every summer. My father did the driving, my mother sat next to him, and my older brother and sister sat in the back seat. This left the cavernous back of the family station wagon for me and the luggage. There was no radio, very little conversation, and I didn't sleep. I spent these summer trips staring for endless hours, out of the back window of the car, transfixed on the expanse of open road behind …

Defending Defense: Circular Arguments About Artmaking, Ryan Mulligan

Theses and Dissertations

This paper is a critical look at video and performance arts intrinsic relationship to culture. Investigations of storytelling, personal mythology, fear, and image saturation. Think-pieces on the nature of art in an entertainment society. Juggling a brief overview of various works and their relation to over arching themes of game theory, dark humor, and fascination with media. An in depth look at the process of the thesis show, "Defense is the Best Defense." Multiple takes on the thesis exhibit counterbalance the need for contemporary art to include description. This paper is a detailed look at the process of Ryan Mulligan's …

Playing To Learn, John Stanko

Theses and Dissertations

This creative project explores some major issues about visual communication in digital games. The project will continue to address new questions and invite questions from my visual and communication design colleagues. My hope is that, through this document, designers will see digital games like photography was seen around the turn of the century, and movies in the 1950's and 60's. In other words, as a rich new medium that offers creative people a virtually unexplored environment in which to work and create.�

Escape Artist, Charles F. Gustina

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis reviews the background, influences, and evolution of the body of work entitled Folia, which forms the basis for the candidate's thesis exhibition. It traces the development of the candidate's artistic inclinations from drawing to photography. Directorial and Pictorialist photography are discussed as forebears in the Influences chapter. Evolution of the Body of Work details how the current work grew from both the candidate's background and influences. A Brief Anthology of Quotations references Susan Sontag's influential work, On Photography, with quotations that have either influenced the candidate's work or reflect his perceptions of art and life. The balance of …

Magic Mountain, Diana Al-Hadid

Theses and Dissertations

My installations are propositions for an imaginary world that relies on its own internal logic, a world of believability without recognition. While the work references landscape it also emphasizes its contrivance, as it is automatically estranged in an "unnatural" gallery setting. I subvert or de-familiarize the materials and processes that I use in the service of creating a fictitious environment. My places are impossible places. They are irregular, illogical, and unstable. Our imagination can be one of most dangerous things to psychological stability as it is an inventory of all things possible, no matter how irrational or improbable. The irrational …

Codes Of Interaction, Timothy Michael Martin

Theses and Dissertations

The ideas within this thesis are meant to clarify my explorations, research and painting practice during my studies at Virginia Commonwealth University. I expand on my general statements about being fascinated by advancing technologies and concerned about the after effects of these advancements. The writing explores my curiosity about the internal, skeletal structure of things and how they operate. I explain how the paintings are idiosyncratic hybrids that evoke animation, imaginary scientific propositions, blueprints, maps, and advancing technologies. The work combines these interests with my observations of day-to-day experiences. Isolated events provide found compositions which I then manipulate: a seemingly …

Music And Visual Form: An Investigative Study, Kendra Bousfield

Presidential Scholars Theses (1990 – 2006)

Music and the visual arts are persistent areas of interest in my life; as a person who seeks to understand connections between and within the inner and outer worlds I designed a thesis project toward better appreciation of the relationship between music and art. This document chronicles the progression of my journey into and through an exploration of the association between music and art as well as the development of my thought and art-making regarding this subject. Along the way I encountered more questions than answers; in hope that others will continue this exploration and because questioning is an integral …

Experimental Navigation And The Creative Process, Teresa A. Engle

Theses and Dissertations

For this creative project, I am exploring alternate methods of navigating urban environments, and ways in which this activity can inspire creativity. This process is intended to create a new awareness of the urban landscape, break out of the prescribed, and to inspire innovation. The range of possibilities for this way of navigating is vast, and part of the challenge of my experience has been defining boundaries, assigning variables, and using strategies for exploration – making my process inherently morphological. I hope that my work here will encourage others to step out of their comfort zone and experience their environment …

The Marinhieros Project: Roseneath Rd & Patterson Ave, Jacqueline H. Crowley

Theses and Dissertations

In questioning the very nature of a thing, at its most basic level, a new assessment can be made of what the thing in question truly is. When we ask ourselves, what is a weed, we begin to pull the word apart - to decrypt the word from the cultural baggage that has collected around it over the course of the history of language.The cultural connotations of 'weed' cling to it like barnacles, removing the word from its true value. We reevaluate meaning, chronicling all the possible constructions of a word, all the possible varieties, where it came from, what …

We Believe In Nothing, Sarah Bednarek

Theses and Dissertations

A discussion of the important aspects informing my work, including, ideology, and feminism among other issues.

Working Space, Timothy D. Devoe

Theses and Dissertations

By altering the outward appearance of the gallery walls, I address the hidden inner temperaments and characteristics of these seemingly benign facades. Architectural rubble impacts with the gallery space in imagined collisions, exposing and distorting its hidden inner workings and structures. Sometimes my walls grow so fat that they need immediate and temporary structural solutions. They may even slump over in a pathetic heap under their own perceived mass.Using everyday wall building materials like 2x4s and drywall, or even harvesting the material directly from the gallery, I anthropomorphize the surface of the space. Rather than the architecture receding into the …

Flight Signs, Flight Symbols, Margaret Mary Urban

Theses and Dissertations

I am investigating the significance of historic events of flight through image making; particularly incidents that captured the collective imagination and became part of our cultural memory. These events have surpassed mere entries in historical texts and become mythic. In the terms of Jungian psychology, they have become symbolic. In terms of Semiotics, they have become signs. Through photographs and installation, I seek to understand their presence in my, and our, unconscious mind.

Posthumous, Michael K. Lease

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis reviews the background, influences, and evolution of three works that form Posthumous, an exhibit by the thesis candidate. The thesis begins with a series of vignettes that relate a number of personal experiences involving death, and photography, which have influenced the conceptual development of the work. Chapters devoted to each piece follow the vignettes. These chapters refer to the various influences that have led to the development of the following works: Obit to Self: April 10, 2005, Posthumous, and Jay. These influences range from the movie Hotel Rwanda, to handbills for punk-rock shows. The thesis ends with a …

Long Walk In Flight School, William H. May Iv

Theses and Dissertations

Long Walk in Flight School is a document intended to complement a body of artwork that includes photographs, giclee prints, animation, and a twenty two page book of images. The main focus of the text is to discuss two types of exchange; my energy with tools in exchange for an object or event, which is then exchanged in the imagination of the audience for something else, a hybrid thing. These exchanges are part of the performance or presentation of the work. Beginning with a brief description of intent at the start of graduate school, it traces my development as an …