Arts and Humanities Commons^™

The Space That Tell Stories, Asia Gonzalez

Theses

This project focuses on visual storytelling in game design. The primary focus of this project is to create an environment that tells a story through visual exposition and very minimal dialogue or written words. Furthermore, the project studies the ways in which a story can be both a visual and interactive experience.

Menossance ™: Post-Maternity Strategies, Elizabeth Pursell

Theses

Inside the private lives of middle-aged women, significant suffering unfolds in silence. The universal “change” is shrouded in shame. The obstacles particular to women during midlife include physical, emotional, financial, professional, familial, and societal. Many suffer through the indignities of menopause while adjusting to an “empty-nest” (Gullette, 2002, p.554). Droves of middle-aged women are also part of the so-called “Sandwich Generation” (Hong, 2002, p. 358). They are sandwiched between the responsibilities of their children and their elders, all while tenuously balancing careers and menopause. As described in Umma’s Table, “The sandwichgeneration [is] impossibly caught between multigenerational responsibilities, navigating labyrinthine sociomedical …

Future-Proofing The Past: Artificial Intelligence In The Restoration Of Andalusian Architectural Heritage: A Case Study Of The Alhambra Palace, Granada, Spain, Kholoud Bader Hasan Ghaith

Theses

This thesis explains the contribution of artificial intelligence in heritage restoration as an icon of Andalusian architecture by using the Alhambra as an example. The task of sustaining heritage is increasing dramatically due to the accumulation of heritage assets and the need for modern and innovative operations to cope with preservation tasks. Therefore, this thesis reviews the role of artificial intelligence in improving the restoration operation to improve accuracy and efficiency. I applied the case study as a scientific methodology to explain this work to overcome scientific and subjective obstacles, such as scarce data and software integration while explaining the …

Paulus Potter’S Punishment Of A Hunter: A Study In Cultural Shifts, Moderation And Class, Taylor Brown

Theses

This paper proposes a new reading of the painting Punishment of a Hunter (1647-1652) by Dutch painter Paulus Potter through the lens of its unique position in seventeenth-century Dutch art with regards to allegory, human and animal caricature, human nature, class, and the influence of economic growth and complexity of class in Amsterdam. The painting consists of fourteen individual vignettes on one panel of wood. Utilizing socio-economic, political, historical and formal analysis, this thesis proposes a reading of the painting. A total of five chapters, each addressing key themes of the painting, will contribute to my main thesis asserting that …

Unveiling Identity: Exploring Afrofuturism In Ekow Nimako’S Contemporary African Diasporic Sculptural Art, Kandra James

Theses

Identity expressed within African diasporic arts has historically been connected to traditional genres such as portraiture. Over time, contemporary artists have explored identity through genres beyond portraiture and through the use of non-traditional materials. The sculptural practice of Ghanaian Canadian artist Ekow Nimako, a fine arts sculptor based in Toronto, Canada, employs the unconventional material of LEGO® to offer a multi-generational perspective into deep diasporic memory. Examining Nimako’s sculptures through the perspective of colonialism and de-colonialism, materiality, and Afrofuturism, this thesis investigates the artist’s exploration of Black historical pasts to shape identities and construct narratives of Black futures. The monumental …

Discourses Across Periods Of Time, Amanda Raquel Moreno

Theses

This literature review explores the revolutionary effect of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality (VR) on digital art history, specifically concentrating on their capacity to enable dialogical exchanges with historical figures and deepen the understanding of artworks. This study considers the current state of research, detecting key methodologies, areas of improvement, and possible challenges and ethical concerns. The example historical figure used in this analysis is the iconic Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. Kahlo’s refusal to correspond to a specific artistic style makes her an ideal subject for generative AI and VR-based investigation, offering fresh insights into her work. The …

Political Propaganda In The Reredos Of Our Lady Of Light, Owen Keith Medina Loftus

Theses

This master's thesis explores the Reredos of Our Lady of Light, a stone monument situated as the focal point of a former military chapel known as La Castrense in Colonial Santa Fe, New Mexico. Crafted by Bernardo Miera y Pacheco in 1761, the reredos is analyzed as a multifaceted masterpiece that blends religious symbolism with propaganda messaging. Its central location in the capital and meticulous design make it a potent tool employed to shape perceptions, reinforce beliefs, and incite the viewer to take action in support of both the Roman Catholic faith and the ever-growing interests of the king and …

Enchanted South Tarot: A Contemporary Interpretation Of Tarot, Hannah Mathis

Theses

This project uses qualitative research to create an original 78-card tarot deck. Its focus is to create a tarot deck informed by the rich history and symbolism of tarot while utilizing original art and unique experiences to create a one-of-a-kind deck. The deck’s artwork showcases flora, fauna, and manufactured objects of the Southeastern United States, referencing traditional tarot archetypes to select each card’s imagery. The deck’s guidebook introduces readers to some of the history of tarot and several historical and contemporary decks that inspired the Enchanted South deck. The project emphasizes tarot’s evolution and how each artist’s contribution adds layers …

The Importance Of Female Bass Players: How They Have Influenced And Shaped Our Conception Of Music, Jessica Sacks

Theses

Music allows us to think creatively, dream, and create a soundtrack for our lives. When we think of female artists, most people recognize singers, but I want to describe how women have shaped music for over sixty years with their fantastic playing abilities. This project will analyze how female bass players have contributed to American music and society.

Impactful Interactivity Within Video Games, Luke Robert Maeser

Theses

Despite half a century of existence and dedicated academic programs educating next generations of game developers, conclusive evidence does not exist as to if video games are beneficial to learning or costly. Examining the notion of benefit versus cost, it is important to assess the value of video games when leveraged as tools for learning as traditional educational methodologies are not infallible. This paper explores how video games can generate psychological responses; and therefore, one must conclude learning has occurred. The following is encompassed: meaningful interactivity within video games (regarding narrative and gameplay), video games as educational tools, video game …

Post-War Restitution In The Republic Of Croatia: Awareness Of The Komza And Reconciliation Of Moveable Property Through Public Sculpture, Anita Govic

Theses

This project is a public sculpture prototype focused on the need for post-war art restitution in the Republic of Croatia: it will have an impact by enhancing public knowledge of the KOMZA list, which offers legal proof for families to retrieve heirlooms taken during WWII and the wars of secession from Yugoslavia.

The sculpture design includes three pillars, two etched with the 1529 names from the KOMZA list and a third that will be progressively built, brick-by-brick, as artworks are restituted. The nature of viewers’ interaction includes access to QR codes that offer links to the KOMZA list, information about …

The Modern Artist's Psyche: Making Meaning In Art Through History, Jenna Banks

Theses

The Modern Artist’s Psyche: Making Meaning in Art Through History provides a way for students to study and analyze works by Modern artists that explore themes like loneliness, isolation, anxiety, and despair. By studying these artists and their works, students learn about topics like art appreciation and psychoanalysis; specifically, how each artist used their mental state to create their visual products. Students learn about art appreciation through the process of discussing and answering questions about specific art works. Students also study the concept of psychoanalysis, relating to theories and techniques that have been used by Modern artists. This connects to …

The Women Of The French Royal Academy: An Improved Online Exhibition Experience, Nicole Chapman

Theses

The purpose of this project is to demonstrate the capabilities of digital spaces to engage and create in-depth teaching opportunities for museum educators. The final deliverables consist of a mock museum website and virtual exhibition that features artwork created by the female artists of the French Royal Academy during the Eighteenth-Century. The content within is tailored for Advanced Placement curriculum and the public.

Shōjo, Kawaii, And Yōkai Iconographies In Chiho Aoshima's Strawberry Fields And How They Relate To Contemporary Gender Dynamics In Japan, Neo Sim Yee

Theses

This paper analyzes the shōjo, kawaii, and yōkai iconographies in Chiho Aoshima’s digital painting Strawberry Fields and examines how they relate to contemporary gender dynamics and anxieties in Japan. The painting bears the artist’s distinctive, characteristic style, which includes elements that are childlike and monstrous, cute and dark. The work, rich in layered context, simultaneously reminisces about the innocence and freedom of adolescence, and critiques the prominent the unequal, rigid, and highly restrictive gender roles dictated by the Japanese patriarchal system. The distinct two halves of Strawberry Fields depict the dichotomous vision of Japanese women—innocent and girly versus defiant and …

Rooted In Meaning: Plant Iconography On Nasca Polychrome Ceramics, Amanda G. Lange

Theses

This thesis explores the Nasca use of plant iconography as part of their polychrome ceramics produced at the end of the Early Horizon around 100 BCE to those produced in the beginning and middle of the Early Intermediate Period circa 1to 450 CE. During this time the religious site of Cahuachi was in use as a pilgrimage center as well as the production center of polychrome pottery. The Nasca created their colorful ceramics here to distribute to visiting pilgrims during times of festival or ritual. The culture’s iconography has been studied extensively, most of which focuses on the forms of …

The Artistic Narratives Of Faith Ringgold: Depicting Race Relations And Social Justice In 1960s America, Nicole Hill

Theses

This thesis explores the works of artist and activist Faith Ringgold within the context of the Civil Rights movement in the United States. The Civil Rights era was a pivotal moment in American history, marked by racial segregation, violence, and discrimination against Black Americans. Against this backdrop, Ringgold's art emerged as a powerful tool for social critique and political activism. The thesis focuses on five of Ringgold's most significant works: Between Friends, The Civil Rights Triangle, The Flag is Bleeding, US Postage Stamp Commemorating the Advent of Black Power, and Die. These works span the period of the 1960s to …

Addendum To Ap Art History Curriculum: Impressionism And Its Female Painters, Julie Short

Theses

This project seeks to add depth to Content Area 4 of the AP Art History Curriculum by supplementing the study of Impressionism as a whole, as well as including the study of the role of women artists in the movement and their contributions to Impressionism and Modern art in general. The goal is to provide students with greater historical context and formal analysis of major Impressionist works, as well as to expose students to the accomplishments of more female artists.

Reconsidering Fertility Imagery In The Murals Of Teotihuacan, Grace T.O. Ray

Theses

This thesis explores fertility imagery in the Tepantitla Paradise and Tetitla Goddess murals of ancient Teotihuacan in Mexico. In the beginning of the 1970s, these murals had been utilized as case studies in the assertion for the existence of a central female deity known as the Great Goddess, based on an abundance of fertility imagery within the scenes. Scholarship in the field has since discredited this theory, but the deity in the murals remains unidentified. In addition, the city does not offer surviving written texts to provide context for cosmological beliefs, only Teotihuacan’s vibrant material culture was left behind after …

The Implications Of Venus In The Interwar Oeuvre Of James Guy, Emily Cooper

Theses

American Social Surrealist James Guy was a Communist proletarian artist who created works of art that depicted the social inequities he witnessed and experienced during the Great Depression. As a working-class artist, Guy painted images of daily life with recognizable and accessible iconography that allowed his fellow manual laborers to relate to the depicted scene. Guy distorted commonplace experiences through the filter of Surrealism to create absurd, illogical, and nightmarish environments to critique contemporary society. Guy worked to spark the realization of the viewer that they were subjected to the same injustices as the figures in his paintings. In this …

User Experience Research For Books For Stl Kids, Danielle Nicole Randall

Theses

This project focuses on how to improve Book for STL Kids website experience. The primary focus is to study how key users utilize and interact with the organization’s website. The final deliverable is a list of user experience improvement recommendations for the organization.

A Study Of Wicca And Art, Shannon Hillyer

Theses

Art can be interpreted from a religious perspective given knowledge of the artist’s present or past religious affiliations. The photo series presented in this paper was part of a survey that asked participants to consider their own religious backgrounds and to determine the inspiration for the photo series. This project utilized introspection, autoethnographic research, and formalist analysis to determine if viewers could pinpoint the artist’s religious affiliation based on the themes present in the photo series. Most participants identified mythological themes were present in the series but didn’t connect those to Wicca unanimously. Art can be interpreted from a religious …

Monet In Bordighera, Valerio Volga

Theses

Claude Monet visited Bordighera, the coastal town on the Italian Riviera, in 1884. This paper argues how, in Bordighera, Monet pursued a more immersive experience with nature than ever before. Monet first visited Bordighera late in 1883 with Renoir; he then went back in 1884 for a second and last trip, this time on his own. He stayed almost three months and painted 38 canvases; this paper focuses on four canvases that help illustrate Monet's depiction of nature and its transition from wide open views to close-up views that convey an immersive experience. Monet began his painting sessions on bristling …

Curio-Stereo: A Vr Application For The Viewing Of Stereograph Cards, Paige Sandheinrich

Theses

This project discusses the historical significance of stereograph cards as a tool for constructing a shared visual culture in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in the United States and the United Kingdom. Stereographs were widely popularized as an entertainment and educational tool, offering an immersive experience for the viewers. The stereoscopic nature of the images allowed the viewers to immerse themselves in a non-physical reality through visual stimulation, creating a haptic involvement that was unique to the medium. The project of creating a VR application to view stereographs is presented as a potential solution to the problem of …

Finding The Circle In The Square: A Neoplatonic Interpretation Of Kazimir Malevich’S Black Square, Matthew Madison Rowe

Theses

This thesis explores the influence of Silver Age philosophers Vladimir Soloviev, Sergei Bulgakov, and Pavel Florensky on Kazimir Malevich’s Black Square. Malevich was among the first to apply Silver Age philosophy to abstract art, fully rejecting all objective representation in art. The thesis argues that Malevich’s Suprematism was the result of the fundamental antimony of the Russian religious worldview, which understands reality as both immanent and transcendent. This understanding of reality was not unique to Russia but was the result of historic influences, including the Neoplatonic and religious-humanist philosophy that was prevalent in Russian intellectual culture during this period. …

Bridge: A Thoughtful Workflow, Isabella Rainey

Theses

The creative workspace is filled with all walks of life – from right to left brains, different personality types, mental health setbacks, and differences in neurodivergencies. While the differences amongst employees can be a huge asset, it can also create a struggle to have productive and inclusive workflows – specifically in relation to project life cycles. These types of differences can create a gap in regards to healthy communication, which can lead to lesser productivity in the long run due to a disconnect with employees battling mental health setbacks. There are many tools out there already that focus on productivity, …

The Metaverse Adoption Rates & User Satisfaction, Shannon Ketura Kling

Theses

The Metaverse concept is inspired by the vision of a digital utopia where you can be and do anything and everything you want. The Metaverse is thought to provide access to all kinds of entertainment and projects through virtual spaces as a world completely free from human limitations. The Metaverse platform satisfies individuals who seek to escape reality through forms of addictive and appealing integrations solely available through virtual and digital media. Although primarily centered around social connectivity and entertainment through digital means, the Metaverse also offers an entirely new ecosystem for developers, ads, apps, and other new digital innovations. …

Reconsidering Gender And Social Constructs In Prehistoric Cave Art: The Role Of Women In Creating Art, Amanda Mooney

Theses

This thesis reviews the importance of Prehistoric Cave Art and the partial basis of its creation, including some ways in which gender and society of the time influenced and led to the creation of said art, with a considerable focus on the devaluation that women have faced as artists in prehistory. The timeframe under consideration follows the Upper Paleolithic period, which covers 50,000 years ago to 10,000 years ago. Reviewing images from certain cave art in this time period of 50,000 years ago to 10,000 years ago, and recent scholarship allows for a specific look into the assumptions of who …

Building An Immersive Simulation Of The 1785 Parisian Salon In Vr: A Guide To Recreating Historical Interiors And Digital Twins, Charles E. O'Brien

Theses

This project aims to identify a workflow for creating digital twins without access to specialized 3D imaging equipment, such as photogrammetry. The process of creating a digital twin without specialized equipment is focused more on research than data analysis. Readily available resources, such as literature, paintings, drawings, and any other historical accounts, need to be considered. The case study for this workflow was reconstructing the Parisian Salon from 1785. The Salons were a haven for men and women to have intellectual discourse. The essence of scholarly thought that was produced through these Salon exhibits makes them perfect historical event candidates …

Building A New Bridge: Justin Favela's Puente Nuevo, Kelley Yost

Theses

This thesis analyzes an installation work, Puente Nuevo, created in 2019 by artist Justin Favela at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art. In this large-scale, piñata-like mural, Favela asserts his Latinx identity while questioning cultural stereotypes and viewer expectations with a sense of humor and irony. The unique materiality of Favela’s work, based in the folk art forms of papel picado and cartonería, transforms spaces into immersive environments that are fun and provocative, and capable of housing darker associations as well. He builds layers of meaning into his pieces by revising historic works, such as picturesque landscapes by Casimiro …

Glass, Danielle Tonnessen

Theses

This project is a full walking simulator video game and includes a demonstration of a variety of game design and development skills, including pre-development documentation, narration, game design audio, graphics, post-processing, UI elements and animation. Additionally, the project promotes the author’s ability in creative writing, and involves mental health subject matter with a focus on trauma processing, hypnosis, and survivor’s guilt.