Art Practice Commons^™

Leave Space, Tammy J. Kordik

All Student Theses

Leaves segue into daydreams, which start with the observation of color, light, and transparent quality. Viewing commonplace objects on a daily basis, blindness overcomes, but the shapes of leaves, their colors and how light is seen through them is a captivating stronghold.

The mind is a spatial canvas; a container that holds knowledge, as a canvas holds a subject matter. Daydreaming begins and thoughts spill out from the perimeter of the mind into other areas that hold memories. The experience may be of a past recollection revitalized or new hopes for adventures wishing to be sought.

Painted leaves extending outside …

Fabricated Perceptions, Monique E. Perry

All Student Theses

This thesis is a personal exploration through playful and childlike imagery. I draw on historical and contemporary artistic influences to the creation of my concepts. Themes of visual metaphor, trompe l’oeil, diorama, and contrasting spatial relationships of objects are explored. Each piece carries its own interpretation that is kept open ended for the viewer. My goal for this art series is to amuse, provoke imagination, and encourage individual interpretation.

Preconciousness, Michael James Ripp

All Student Theses

Preconsciousness ... Explores the topographical model of the mind through the deconstruction of accepted realities. Blurring the boundaries of consciousness and unconsciousness. Embracing and accepting the abstract view of the mind as “realms” independent of each other. Surreal, yet familiar spaces and environments become a gateway to the preconscious and a deeper awareness. These unique spaces become a catalyst for a physiological journey to the unconscious. Complex views and interpretations of oneself and ones experiences come to the surface. Engaging memories and emotions such as anxiety ... joy… tranquility………manifesting as physical space as spaces become representations of unconscious. Minds are …

All That I Am Or Hope To Be, I Owe To My Angel, My Mother, Pamela Planera

All Student Theses

All that I am or hope to be, I owe to my angel, my mother. A quote that binds the relationship my mother and I will always have, through life, death and the paths I choose for my future to fulfill a promise. A promise I intend to keep and fulfill until we meet again… on the other side…

All dilapidated architectural buildings of my series are considered symbolic spaces. They become tangible - representing a venue of dreams where we become deeply affected, by our behavior, our environment, our society and ourselves. Each venue spawned an identity - it’s …

Taxidermy Of Thought, Jason Walker

All Student Theses

Sculpture is how I bring to life the dark corners of my mind. There have always been images of creatures, geology, and botanical life swirling around my head. Images that often include spires of exoskeleton, creeping tendrils searching for sustenance, or something that moves in an unnatural way. After years of envisioning and automatically sketching out these "things" it is beginning to get a bit crowded in there. It was time to excise this world in my mind and bring it into existence through my hands.

Using many different materials, including plaster, wire, paper mache, epoxy, urethane resins, many different …

Gear Driven, Richard Cammarata

All Student Theses

Merging the past and the present and the simplistic with the complex, form the foundation of my work. My sculptural work in ceramics depicts hybridized versions of distinct pieces of machinery that have been distorted and fused together to create ambiguous forms that offers a sense of curiosity and draws attention to each piece. These pieces are reminiscent of the types of rusted and decayed parts I found lying around my grandfather's truck yard when I was a boy. Machinery appealed to me not only because of the interesting forms but also because of the visual texture and enduring quality …

Face Value, Rebecca Moffett-Moore

All Student Theses

The human face is the most universally important focus of communication. It is a significant source of identity and the most expressive means of nonverbal communication. We use our faces to speak and express emotions. We use faces to recognize friends or foes; to spot family resemblances; and to consider attractiveness or unattractiveness. Gleaned from a number dictionaries, my interpretation of what is meant by taking something or someone at "face value" means to accept that idea, object, or person because of the way it first looks or seems, without thinking about what else it could mean, and to accept …

"Untitled", Janet Rose Engel-Julian

All Student Theses

The emotions from memories and the passing of time can be an intriguing thing. The more time that passes the more difficult it can be to remember details thus changing the memory. The more people who share a specific memory,the more memories may exist,yet each person’s recognition of the event may vary. When family members recall a childhood event, they can have a plethora of viewpoints and interpretations all depending on the time passed and roles played along with previous life experiences.

For centuries,history was recorded orally through ceremony and storytelling, and some cultures also involved the sharing of food. …

Don't Shoot The Messenger, Wayon C. Collins

All Student Theses

My hope is to inform people through my art, thus creating a spark that might motivate people to bring about a change in how corporations do business. My art touches mainly on the issues of corporations polluting the environment, massive layoffs, breaking up unions, controlling the media output and sometimes creating situations that harm people, with no accountability.

Impressions Of Reality, Brooke Nicholson

All Student Theses

This thesis reviews the student's reflections and statements on her master's show. Watercolor and graphite (pencil) are used. (Abstract by OPUS staff)

A Meditative Art, Lori White

All Student Theses

My artwork symbolizes the idea of meditation through the true and organic forms. I paint a space where my mind is at ease. A place where all the chaos of the world around me stops and become beauty. In my artwork, the organic forms that I produce reflect the meditative power of natural forms. My mind sees the environment in a simple abstract appearance that mirrors a sense of peace and harmony. By painting with smooth, organic, and soft lines my artwork helps me get to a point of relaxation. Through the process of letting go of the world that …