The Spiritual And Emotional Impact Of Color In Luis Barragán’S Convento De Las Capuchinas Sacramentarias,
2026
Sotheby's Institute of Art
The Spiritual And Emotional Impact Of Color In Luis Barragán’S Convento De Las Capuchinas Sacramentarias, Ivana Martin
MA Theses
This thesis examines how Luis Barragán’s Convento de las Capuchinas Sacramentarias (1955) is a medium for spiritual experience. In his work, Barragán explores the use of color, light, and emotion as central elements and the ways in which they transform sacred space into an embodied, contemplative experience. There is also a comparison to other churches and other similar projects that were done during the same time period, specifically in Mexico. Modernist architecture in mid-century Mexico was largely defined by rationalist and more functional ideals, but Barragán separated himself from these tendencies to create an architecture that privileges silence, intimacy, and …
Neither Innocent Nor Illicit: Breaking The Gaze In Lisa Yuskavage’S Candy-Colored World,
2026
Sotheby's Institute of Art
Neither Innocent Nor Illicit: Breaking The Gaze In Lisa Yuskavage’S Candy-Colored World, Kristin Kiley
MA Theses
This thesis examines the evolution of Lisa Yuskavage’s female nude. Drawing on theorists such as John Berger, Lynda Nead, and Laura Mulvey, this study explores how varying perspective dictates the very meaning of nudity in conjunction with sex. Through a deep analysis of Yuskavage’s oeuvre, tracing her progression from the submissive, Kewpie-like sex babies of the 1990s to the introspective multi-figure compositions and studio scenes from the 2000s up until the 2020s, the audience discovers that their ultimate discomfort with sexually engaged women positions them as antagonists in Yuskavage’s candy-colored world. From the 1980s to the present day, this thesis …
A Visual Analysis Of The Work Of Anna Weyant For Art Historical Precedent,
2026
Sotheby's Institute of Art
A Visual Analysis Of The Work Of Anna Weyant For Art Historical Precedent, Jordan Arnold
MA Theses
This paper examines the rapid ascent and artistic evolution of Anna Weyant, whose blend of technical rigor, stylized figuration, and sly narrative tension has positioned her as a leading name in contemporary figurative painting. While her market visibility and high-profile representation have often overshadowed critical engagement with her work, a close analysis reveals a steadily developing practice grounded in a set of consistent formal concerns: controlled light and shadow, psychologically charged compositions, and a sustained dialogue with art-historical precedents. By situating Weyant’s paintings in relation to the psychological realism of the Dutch Golden Age, the uncanny and erotic undercurrents of …
The Postmodern Frontier: Richard Prince And The Neoliberal Spectacle Of The American Dream,
2026
Sotheby's Institute of Art
The Postmodern Frontier: Richard Prince And The Neoliberal Spectacle Of The American Dream, Taïs Khassanova
MA Theses
This thesis examines the oeuvre of Richard Prince’s as a sustained allegory of contemporary American visual culture, beginning with his Cowboys series as the point of origin from which his later appropriations, including Girlfriends, Spiritual America, and New Portraits, unfold. Through the recursive gesture of appropriation, Prince’s Cowboys expose the myth of rugged independence as a corporate fiction, revealing how the frontier ethos was redeployed under the Reagan presidency to naturalize neoliberal ideology. Building on this premise, the thesis traces how such logic extends throughout Prince’s subsequent body of work, as his Girlfriends refigure the cowboy’s masculine autonomy as the …
Beyond Recognition: The Surrealist Strategy Of Face Concealment In The Portraits Of René Magritte And Ewa Juszkiewicz,
2026
Sotheby's Institute of Art
Beyond Recognition: The Surrealist Strategy Of Face Concealment In The Portraits Of René Magritte And Ewa Juszkiewicz, Darina Kravchenko Eldridge
MA Theses
This dissertation investigates the evolution of the Surrealist strategy of face concealment from a modernist device of perceptual estrangement into a contemporary tool of feminist and postcolonial critique within portraiture. By obscuring the most recognisable marker of identity, it evokes a complex and unsettling emotional response in the viewer, transforming the act of looking at another person into an encounter with absence. The study situates this transformation within broader aesthetic and ideological discourses, drawing on feminist art history as articulated by Linda Nochlin and Griselda Pollock, alongside John Berger’s Ways of Seeing, Jacques Derrida’s hauntology, the Zeigarnik effect and Guy …
When Fine Art And Commercial Art Merge: A Playbook For Emerging Artists Without Gallery Representation To Create Successful And Sustainable Careers,
2026
Sotheby's Institute of Art
When Fine Art And Commercial Art Merge: A Playbook For Emerging Artists Without Gallery Representation To Create Successful And Sustainable Careers, Regina Escobedo Guerra
MA Theses
Pursuing a career as an artist comes with no clear path nor directions. The first years after graduating are filled with confusion and uncertainty. Emerging artists are oftentimes unequipped with the necessary resources to create sustainable and profitable careers. In a saturated market where only a select few are able to make a living solely from art, artists need to gain autonomy and control over their practices. This thesis provides emerging artists with no gallery representation with the tools to create an independent career that prioritizes artistic authenticity and sustains profit. Through a dismissal of the negative perceptions placed on …
Marc Chagall And The Jewish Experience: A Personal Modernism In The Parisian Avant-Garde,
2026
Sotheby's Institute of Art
Marc Chagall And The Jewish Experience: A Personal Modernism In The Parisian Avant-Garde, Samantha Desanctis
MA Theses
Marc Chagall and the Jewish Experience: A Personal Modernism in the Parisian Avant-Garde examines the interplay between Marc Chagall’s Jewish heritage and his engagement with the Parisian avant-garde of the early twentieth century. Chagall’s upbringing in the Russian Empire deeply informed his visual language, which persisted even as he explored the techniques and innovations of modernist movements. This thesis analyzes Chagall’s early works alongside close readings of key paintings such as I and the Village, 1911, Homage to Apollinaire, 1911–12, Self-Portrait with Seven Fingers, 1912–13, and Green Violinist, 1923–24, considering symbols, colors, compositions, and recurring motifs drawn from religion, tradition, …
Can A Curator Influence Their Nation’S Art Market Value? Adriano Pedrosa, The 60th Venice Biennale, And The Global Repositioning Of Brazilian Art,
2026
Sotheby's Institute of Art
Can A Curator Influence Their Nation’S Art Market Value? Adriano Pedrosa, The 60th Venice Biennale, And The Global Repositioning Of Brazilian Art, Maria Joana Ventosa
MA Theses
The 60th Venice Biennale (2024), curated by Brazilian curator Adriano Pedrosa, the first Latin American curator, and the first curator based in the Global South to lead the Venice Biennale, revived long-standing debates concerning visibility and marginalization, who controls canon formation and, in a market where visibility directly affects value, the power of dictating the market. The curator furthered this discussion by curating a show literally titled “Strangers Everywhere”, focused on representations by artists who identify as “othered”, through, for example colonisation and erasure of native cultures, immigration or queerness. This thesis examines the evolving role of biennials as platforms …
The Language Of Value: Lot Note Complexity And Auction Performance In Abstract Expressionism,
2026
Sotheby's Institute of Art
The Language Of Value: Lot Note Complexity And Auction Performance In Abstract Expressionism, Artur Sharifullin
MA Theses
This thesis asks a simple question: does the language in lot notes relate to price and to whether a lot beats or misses its estimate? I study eight Abstract Expressionist artists: Ad Reinhardt, Adolph Gottlieb, Barnett Newman, Franz Kline, Joan Mitchell, Lee Krasner, Robert Motherwell, and Sam Francis because their works are less representational and often need supporting text to explain the context. The main sample includes only lots sold for more than $1 million at Christie’s or Sotheby’s in New York or London over the past ten years. I measure a small set of writing features that are easy …
Reconstructing The Surreal: Female Artists And The Transformation Of Surrealist Aesthetics,
2026
Sotheby's Institute of Art
Reconstructing The Surreal: Female Artists And The Transformation Of Surrealist Aesthetics, Erin Regan
MA Theses
This thesis examines the role and legacy of female artists who took part in the Surrealist visual art movement of the early 20th century. Canonical accounts have historically privileged the contributions of male artists, marginalizing women to the fringes of the movement by framing female artists as being primarily relevant as muses for their male peers. This study contests this historiographical misconception, relying upon visual analysis and archival research, as well as drawing from psychological, feminist, and postmodern theory, ultimately arguing that their artistic and theoretical innovations fundamentally restructured Surrealism’s visual vocabulary, theoretical objectives, and cultural legacy. This thesis is …
Corporate Patronage In Art And Education: A Case Study Of Bloomberg's Interventions,
2026
Sotheby's Institute of Art
Corporate Patronage In Art And Education: A Case Study Of Bloomberg's Interventions, Xiaojun Tian
MA Theses
This study focuses on the application of corporate sponsorship in the fields of art and education, delving deep into the interventions and cases made by Bloomberg L.P. in these two domains. Corporate sponsorship for the arts acts as a significant display of Cultural Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), not only fostering diversity in the production of art institutions and artists but also having a profound effect on the educational sector. Utilizing case study methodology, this research deconstructs key projects and activities funded by Bloomberg, encompassing support for exhibitions and public art projects, as well as various initiatives aimed at art education, …
The Collapse Of The New Tendencies: How Did A Movement That Never Existed Cease To Exist,
2026
Sotheby's Institute of Art
The Collapse Of The New Tendencies: How Did A Movement That Never Existed Cease To Exist, Tonka Protega
MA Theses
This thesis examines the short lifespan of the New Tendencies. Although the New Tendencies have gained renewed recognition over the last couple of years, there is still limited research on their final phase. To address this topic, I analyzed the narrative history of the New Tendencies , alongside the essays published in the exhibition catalogues. Additionally, I considered the historical and political situation in Croatia during this period, which influenced the manifestations. Ultimately, this thesis argues for the non-existence of the New Tendencies as a movement in the history of art and identifies the key reasons that led to its …
Global Art: An Economic Exploration Of The Factors Driving Sensible Gallery Expansion,
2026
Sotheby's Institute of Art
Global Art: An Economic Exploration Of The Factors Driving Sensible Gallery Expansion, James Mclennan
MA Theses
The goal of this thesis is to develop a practical and defensible decision tool to guide art gallery expansion. Focusing on four cities – New York, Hong Kong, London, and Doha – the thesis translates heterogeneous considerations into a matrix that scores each of the cities according to eight factors: Market & Demand; Regulation & Tax; Logistics & Shipping; Labor & Immigration; Legal Entity & Finance; Brand, PR & Audience; Competition & Benchmarking; and Risk. Sub-factors are scored and averaged to provide results on how each city scores against each other. The output is a ranked set of city recommendations …
Aura For Sale?: Art Merchandise And The Totalizing Culture Of Reproduction,
2026
Sotheby's Institute of Art
Aura For Sale?: Art Merchandise And The Totalizing Culture Of Reproduction, Lily Paternoster
MA Theses
The art historical discipline largely excludes art merchandise from critical analysis, relegating it to being a marketing gimmick or gift shop opportunity. This failure to reconcile with the rapidly expanding enterprise for brand collaborations with fine artists has led to an overwhelming and unregulated commercial licensing industry, similar in mystique and ascend to that of the fine art market. Through the case studies of two post-humous artists and two living- Keith Haring, JeanMichel Basquiat, KAWS (Brian Donnelly), and Maurizio Cattelan- I argue that art merchandise exists on a constantly fluctuating scale between democratizing force and commodity. Despite its status on …
Evolving Motives: How Art Collecting Has Changed Across Generations,
2026
Sotheby's Institute of Art
Evolving Motives: How Art Collecting Has Changed Across Generations, Giovanni Mazzoleni
MA Theses
This thesis elucidates the changing reasons for collection in recent years and focuses on three generations of collectors: those born before 1950; those born between 1951-1980; and those born after 1981. It commences with a literature review of the initial collecting motivations and challenges, motives based on socio-cultural, economic and technological advancements which foster the importance and reasons for collections. To make this investigation tangible, a quantitative survey was adopted. Forty-five participants, each ranking their levels of agreement from one to five based on an assessment of eight statements based on five motives: economic, normative, uniqueness, hedonic and intellectual. Descriptive …
From Fear To Familiarity: Folkloric Creatures And Cultural Identity In Contemporary Japanese And Filipino Art,
2026
Sotheby's Institute of Art
From Fear To Familiarity: Folkloric Creatures And Cultural Identity In Contemporary Japanese And Filipino Art, Mariel Yulo Asuncion
MA Theses
Mythological and folkloric creatures have evolved beyond their traditional contexts to serve as tools through which contemporary artists reinterpret and express colonial memory, cultural experiences, and social anxieties. Both Japan and the Philippines mobilize their folkloric monsters as forms of commentary on modern conditions; however, they do so in distinct ways shaped by their differing cultural histories and belief systems. This study aims to analyze and compare how Japanese and Filipino contemporary artists reinterpret folkloric creatures within modern contexts. Employing a qualitative, comparative cultural analysis alongside a sociohistorical framework, this research investigates the contemporary reinterpretation of mythological creatures in both …
Cancel Culture: A Battle Of Headlines, Not Meanings,
2026
Sotheby's Institute of Art
Cancel Culture: A Battle Of Headlines, Not Meanings, Nataliia Sapyrkina
MA Theses
This work explores the phenomenon of “cancel culture”, with a specific emphasis on the repercussions for Russian art, artists, and cultural institutions following the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022. The study examines “cancel culture” as a reputational sanctions mechanism functioning across the modern media landscape. By analyzing selected case studies this paper addresses cases of performance cancellations, institutional distancing, the termination of cooperation with donors, and the revision of artwork attributions. Crucially, Russia’s exclusion from the dialogue is driven both by direct legal grounds, namely sanctions, and by indirect technical factors or those arising from the internal structure …
M+, Beyond A Museum?: The Making Of A New Cultural Paradigm In Hong Kong,
2026
Sotheby's Institute of Art
M+, Beyond A Museum?: The Making Of A New Cultural Paradigm In Hong Kong, Grace Law
MA Theses
This thesis, titled M+, Beyond a Museum? The Making of a New Cultural Paradigm in Hong Kong, is a critical inquiry into whether M+ is a traditional museum or an institution that redefines Hong Kong’s cultural landscape. The study examines the operational and financial challenges encountered by the Museum in the backdrop of its distinguished architecture, meticulous programming, and advanced digital technology. By tracing the Museum’s development through its core exhibitions and international collaborations, this thesis demonstrates how M+ has evolved into a key art institution within the West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD), and elevated its positioning in the cultural …
Painted By Hand, Written In The Sky: Martin Wong’S Fingerspelling As Invented Visual Language, 1982-1985,
2026
CUNY City College
Painted By Hand, Written In The Sky: Martin Wong’S Fingerspelling As Invented Visual Language, 1982-1985, Bella Clemente
Dissertations and Theses
This thesis examines Martin Wong's (1946-1999) hand-painted fingerspelling as an invented personal visual language and vehicle of self-portraiture, analyzing three paintings created during his time in New York between 1982 and 1985: Attorney Street: Handball Court with Autobiographical Poem by Piñero (1982-1984), Compulsion (1984-1985), and Stanton Near Forsyth Street (1983). Through iconographic analysis of lingual elements in each work, including fingerspelling, graffiti, calligraphy, and poetry, this thesis argues that Wong's stylized adaptation of the American Sign Language manual alphabet reflects an evolving sense of self-identity, drawing on influences from Chinese artistic traditions, calligraphy, Kufic script, and the Nuyorican poetry and …
Modernizing The Sacred: The Church’S Growing Relationship With Modernism And Salvador Dalí’S Renaissance,
2026
Sotheby's Institute of Art
Modernizing The Sacred: The Church’S Growing Relationship With Modernism And Salvador Dalí’S Renaissance, Emma Mandia
MA in Fine and Decorative Art and Design Dissertations
Salvador Dalí (1904-1989), a renowned painter from the Surrealist period, is known for his dreamlike Freudian works that challenge the traditional values of painting. However, halfway through the 20th century, he took a turn towards religious themes of Catholicism, drawing inspiration from the Renaissance. This pivot was quite shocking to the artistic community. At that time the artistic community did not view him as a religious man but rather as someone who aimed to provoke by pushing boundaries with his unconventional themes. During the same period, the Vatican began to loosen their views on modernism, which was once strictly forbidden, …
