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Theses and Dissertations

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Full-Text Articles in Arts and Humanities

The Muradiye And Imaret Mosques In The Context Of Early Ottoman Filibe: Two Case Studies, Elena Chardakliyska Feb 2006

The Muradiye And Imaret Mosques In The Context Of Early Ottoman Filibe: Two Case Studies, Elena Chardakliyska

Theses and Dissertations

The two mosques remaining in present-day Plovdiv, Bugaria or Ottoman Filibe are the Muradiye and Imaret mosques. The Murndiye Mosque, also known as the Ctm1a (or Friday) mosque built in ca. 1435 and the Imaret Mosque, founded in 1444, represent an important period of the history of the town vis-a-vis its transformation into an important urban center in the Ottoman province of Rumeli. The Imaret Mosque is an example of a reserve T-shaped imnret/zaviye which was surrounded by a charitable complex. It is also the monument whose study is more challenging because of the uncertainties posed by its changing functions. …


Victorians And The Underground, Melissa Mcdaniel Jan 2006

Victorians And The Underground, Melissa Mcdaniel

Theses and Dissertations

The Victorian Age created a revolution in technology that defined the age and has fostered its social ideologies. In every civilization, the technologies of the time reflect the social issues of the culture. For instance, the development of the printing press in the fifteenth-century revealed desires for higher literacy rates; the invention of the cotton gin incited the social injustices of American slavery; the progress of the Internet embodies this century's attachment to fast-food, fast-money, and fast-information. Likewise, in the Victorian Age, the invention of underground tunnels exposed some important social issues which developed in the period. Just as the …


From The Edge, Leslie Corder Rousseau Jan 2006

From The Edge, Leslie Corder Rousseau

Theses and Dissertations

Paintings and drawings are the physical representations of my dialogue with the world around me. Art is how I connect to what is too large, or too vague, or too personally meaningful to express in any other way. Space and its transformation by light and color have always been central to this dialogue. I am particularly intrigued by spatial ambiguity. Space exists for us only in how it relates to us and so, space changes. One viewpoint or state of mind might make space seem freeing, while another makes the same space feel confining. Barriers are sometimes delineated, sometimes obscured. …


The Huacas Of Machu Picchu: Inca Stations For The Communion Between Humanity And Nature, Lee Anne Hurt Jan 2006

The Huacas Of Machu Picchu: Inca Stations For The Communion Between Humanity And Nature, Lee Anne Hurt

Theses and Dissertations

Sacred stones, or huacas, at the ancient Inca city of Machu Picchu integrated human ritual with the surrounding landscape. I argue that huacas defined the relationship between nature and ritual practice by forcing an esoteric choreography which involved specific postures of the participant in order to visually orient humans to significant natural features of the surrounding environment. Inca stonemasons refined the natural form of the huacas so that they mimic the contours of prominent landscape features such as mountain peaks. This dissertation documents 122 huacas at Machu Picchu using maps of the site to record the exact location of each …


Applying Principles Of Information Design To Help Parents Accept Babies With Down Syndrome, Anita Eradla Jan 2006

Applying Principles Of Information Design To Help Parents Accept Babies With Down Syndrome, Anita Eradla

Theses and Dissertations

My creative project is a system of resource materials designed for parents and expecting parents to promote acceptance of babies with Down syndrome. This project is also a study of information architecture and icon development, and an opportunity to study the universal and emotive qualities of an iconic system.


The Oldest Well, Saul Benjamin Becker Jan 2006

The Oldest Well, Saul Benjamin Becker

Theses and Dissertations

This body of work, representing the past two years, is focused on the idea of the composite landscape. This reconfiguring of the elements from the external world combined with invented places is a way for me to articulate the subtle transactions between the interior psyche and the external world. The way this new conglomerate space is represented is a result of my inquiry into the relationship between nature, culture, and the sublime. The place where the private acts of the studio meet the shared exterior world is where I find my intellect, fantasy, and sense of reality collaborating in chorus.


State Of Being, Anne Bradshaw Jan 2006

State Of Being, Anne Bradshaw

Theses and Dissertations

My work speaks to the processes of adaptation and assimilation, phenomena that explain the way in which we transform life experience and incorporate the effects of such experience into the daily workings of our psyche. To this extent my work is a self-analysis, an autobiographical reckoning, a non-verbal representation of collective experiences rendered in forms upon which images are spontaneously drawn or painted with fiber. The process of making art as a means of accessing creative instincts is a manifestation of the way in which I experience life. Adapting and assimilating to our human condition is an art, a form …


Trees, Kara M. Drinkwater Jan 2006

Trees, Kara M. Drinkwater

Theses and Dissertations

The intention behind my work is to draw the viewer's attention to the intimate, beautiful details found in nature. For example, I am awed and inspired by the unique qualities found in every tree whose varieties are seemingly infinite. The basic concept of my work is to portray the images of trees close to the viewer's eye to instill a sense of nature's grandness.


Natural Selection, Jeffrey A. Vick Jan 2006

Natural Selection, Jeffrey A. Vick

Theses and Dissertations

My thesis work is about imagination. I use the collaborative efforts of the viewer's mind and my sculptures, or specimens, to make associations of real life animals. I feel this engages the viewer and in turn invites them to inspect the work on closer level. This is my ultimate goal in the work, to take hold of the viewer's curiosity and have them examine the work on a closer level.


Bitterroot Landing: An Adaptation From Novel To Stage, Christy Leake Jan 2006

Bitterroot Landing: An Adaptation From Novel To Stage, Christy Leake

Theses and Dissertations

My thesis explores the process involved in adapting Sheri Reynolds' novel, Bitterroot Landing, into a stage play. During the adaptation process I faced numerous challenges, including structural issues, expanding or changing dialogue, omitting or melding scenes and characters, and dealing with the serious themes of incest and sexual abuse. This thesis describes these challenges and the steps I took to overcome them.


Everyday Haunting, Thomas John Condon Jr. Jan 2006

Everyday Haunting, Thomas John Condon Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

This document outlines a journey of self-exploration, discovery, construction and destruction. It is a story of learning, a testament to impermanence, and a proposal for possibility. The words and work contained in this document are exclusive to the thoughts and actions of one man that hopes to share with others.


Sphere Of Influence, Benjamin Andrew Jones Jan 2006

Sphere Of Influence, Benjamin Andrew Jones

Theses and Dissertations

The following thesis titled SPHERE OF INFLUENCE is about development. I discuss my efforts to develop as an artist addressing observation and awareness of the self and our surroundings. I will discuss how this relates to my approach with materials and process and will explain not only what the sculpture titled SPHERE OF INFLUENCE has come to represent for me, but also the reactions of viewers during the temporary installation of the SPHERE OF INFLUENCE at the Anderson Gallery at Virginia Commonwealth University from May 5th 2006 through May 14th, 2006. I will explain the SPHERE OF INFLENCE'S function as …


Cultural Stereotypes: From Dracula's Myth To Contemporary Diasporic Productions, Ileana F. Popa Jan 2006

Cultural Stereotypes: From Dracula's Myth To Contemporary Diasporic Productions, Ileana F. Popa

Theses and Dissertations

This study is focused on a highly topical theme, which belongs to the pluralist practice of cultural studies, and aims at investigating a remarkable phenomenon of identity-shaping and cross-cultural exchange. Starting from an analysis of Dracula as the epitomized image of the Balkans (and of Romania, more specifically) abroad, this paper provides a comprehensive historical and (con)textual analysis of the myth, enlarged to incorporate it into the fictions of exile and to draw the reader's attention to the "demonic" dimension of the Balkan area in general, and the Romanian area in particular. The first chapter provides a theoretical overview meant …


A Postcard, Or Something Like It, Derek Cote Jan 2006

A Postcard, Or Something Like It, Derek Cote

Theses and Dissertations

Postcards highlight the most invigorating, awesome and memorable aspects of events and places. They serve as mementos to be shared or as a testament to experience, proof that "I was here." While postcards were most widely used at the turn of the 20th century, they are quickly being outmoded by the immediacy of technology. Thanks to digital photography and the world wide web, sharing memories is something that happens almost as quickly as the original event is experienced. The history and function of postcards are not the topics that I will address in this essay. Rather, I will look at …


Bridging The Gap: Why Many High School Writers Are Not Successful In College Composition Classes, Amy Stutzman Park Jan 2006

Bridging The Gap: Why Many High School Writers Are Not Successful In College Composition Classes, Amy Stutzman Park

Theses and Dissertations

It may be useful to identify this so-called gap that seems to plague first-year college writers before attempting to discover why it exists. In order to identify the gap, I want to define these writers who are leaving high school and finding difficulty in college composition classes. Patricia Bizzell defines basic writers as "those who are least well prepared for college" (Bizzell "What Happens When Basic Writers Come to College?" 294). I'd like to broaden her definition of basic writers and use the term "inexperienced writers" as the field now defines them. In order to fully understand why most college …


From Darkness To Light: Examining The Role Of Playwright/Director On Obscura, Dennis Christian Schebetta Jan 2006

From Darkness To Light: Examining The Role Of Playwright/Director On Obscura, Dennis Christian Schebetta

Theses and Dissertations

The aim and scope of my thesis is to examine the process of playwrights directing their own work, using the production of my play Obscura as an example of personal research, as well as examples of other dramatists. I will examine the advantages and disadvantages that playwrights face when directing their own work. I will compare several methods to my own production of Obscura. I wrote the play in the Spring of 2005 which culminated in a reading in April, followed by a workshop production in the Fall of 2005 in the Newdick Theater at Shafer Street Playhouse.


Gonna Spread The News All Around: Early, African-American Popular Song As Spoken Newspaper, Randall Lawrence Stamper Jan 2006

Gonna Spread The News All Around: Early, African-American Popular Song As Spoken Newspaper, Randall Lawrence Stamper

Theses and Dissertations

Most research into blues music over the past thirty years has examined either how the blues contribute to or reflect African-American identity, or how blues lyrics may be used as windows into African-American culture, values, and attitudes. Scholars have generally relied on more conventional songs about male-female relationships in this research, largely ignoring the subset of topical blues songs that related information about current events. Given the widespread illiteracy among African Americans during the height of the blues' popularity, these topical songs are particularly compelling. To date, however, no one has coupled topical blues together with their consumers' educational attainment …


Images Of Jenny Lind And The Construction Of Identity For The Nineteenth-Century Female Performer, Joanna Elizabeth Penick Jan 2006

Images Of Jenny Lind And The Construction Of Identity For The Nineteenth-Century Female Performer, Joanna Elizabeth Penick

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines how images of the Swedish singer Jenny Lind worked to distance her from the typical nineteenth-century view. Because of their position within the public sphere, female performers were thought to be sexually available and often had the reputation of prostitute. Lind achieved a level of success that made her one of the most famous women of the mid-nineteenth-century. She was known not only for her talent as a performer but also for her morality and piety. Examining the Lind images in the context of nineteenth-century social codes and feminist theatre history, it becomes evident that Lind was …


Facts Of The Imagination (From The Inside Out), Janelle Ann Iglesias Jan 2006

Facts Of The Imagination (From The Inside Out), Janelle Ann Iglesias

Theses and Dissertations

Growing up in a bicultural household, navigating the F train as well as mountain creeks, studying culture and then participating in its production, these are some of the idiosyncrasies that I bring to my work. My investigations are rooted in combining a rediscovery of the sensuousness of the natural world and an investigation of the poetics of everyday life. Choosing materials and situations within the realm of the everyday, I'm interested in a transformation that suggests the infinite potential and worth in all things. The resulting objects have identities as complex as my own. They are ridiculous and serious, normal …


Last Stand At Big Thunder Mountain, David Herbert Jan 2006

Last Stand At Big Thunder Mountain, David Herbert

Theses and Dissertations

I seek to pose questions about what people overlook or don't consider when viewing art in order to interpret what they see. When working on a project, I purposely retain the effect of my hand. The false crudeness is enhanced by my use of seemingly impoverished materials. This is akin to seeing the fishing wire holding up the miniature spaceship as it flies through the sky. This document was created with Microsoft Word XP.


Undone, Julie J. Johnson Jan 2006

Undone, Julie J. Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

My art has become rooted in a process of layering. I layer materials to explore technique and to express the concept of inside versus outside. The evidence of multiple layers of materials is symbolically connected to what is happening within my own life. I want the viewer to see an indication of deeper layers of process and materials rather than just the polished surface of an artwork. This layering process can also be seen as a metaphor for human nature, what we see on the outside is not always what is on the inside.


Den Of Thieves: Appropriating And Applying The Collaborative Ideals Of The Labyrinth Theater Company, Timothy Michael Bambara Jan 2006

Den Of Thieves: Appropriating And Applying The Collaborative Ideals Of The Labyrinth Theater Company, Timothy Michael Bambara

Theses and Dissertations

My goal was to successfully appropriate the collaborative ideals of the LAByrinth Theater Company and incorporate them into my directorial process while working on a collegiate production. I gathered a large amount of information from my visit and contact with the LAB and through personal interviews with the Co-Artistic Director and the Developmental Director. I had seen two of their shows and I was familiar with the quality of production that I had to uphold. I played a lead role in Guirgis' Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train and I was familiar with the rhythm, the dialect and the seriocomic matters …


Teaching Theatre History: Re-Directing An Existing Course, Brian Robert Vrtis Jan 2006

Teaching Theatre History: Re-Directing An Existing Course, Brian Robert Vrtis

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is written to detail the process and results of the theatre history class that I assisted in teaching during the fall semester of 2005. It details the process of formulating the class structure, how the class proceeded, my lecture process, and finally the responses that the students had to the class. The first chapter of this paper goes into the process of getting the class formulated. When Shaun McCracken and I were asked to take over instruction of THEA 307 for the fall during Dr. Barnes' sabbatical, rather than exactly following the process that the class had previously …


The Path Is A Circle, Marylea Martin Harris Jan 2006

The Path Is A Circle, Marylea Martin Harris

Theses and Dissertations

While the pastoral environment that surrounds my studio is inspirational in itself, my treescapes and organic abstractions are reflections of referential places experienced along my life's path. Considering the constant onslaught of information in our increasingly rushed society, I hope my work, influenced by the natural world, may allow the viewer to slow down briefly and live in the moment.


A Seamless Journey, Stefanie Neuner Jan 2006

A Seamless Journey, Stefanie Neuner

Theses and Dissertations

My quilts serve as a visual journal of some of my travels and experiences. Through my quilts, I remember the rich colors and memories of my European adventures. The methodical process of stitching quilts line by line is an important process for my recollection of the many steps taken during my trip abroad. Stitching fabric is the method that communicates the opportunities and experiences of my travel that I want to share with others.


Conceptual Packaging, Thirada Raungpaka Jan 2006

Conceptual Packaging, Thirada Raungpaka

Theses and Dissertations

Packaging and package design is commonly thought of as a tool to attract the consumer to material goods. Packages, however, have other attributes. In Japan, packaging design is very charming because of the delicate selection of materials, images, and interaction. Different kinds of material provide different emotions and appeal to our sense of touch, which can be interpreted in many ways. Packaging lets us directly interact with an object and this experience becomes memorable and intimate. The combination of image and interaction creates another dimension of story telling. My creative project, Conceptual Packaging, is an experiment in using materials and …


Terra Incognita, Miriam Ellen Ewers Jan 2006

Terra Incognita, Miriam Ellen Ewers

Theses and Dissertations

Process Art: A Dialectic Between Intention Versus AccidentThe Art Studio as an Experimental LaboratoryThe Artist's UnknownImagined ArchitectureSubterranean Architecture: Natural and Man-MadePirenesi's Carceri PrintsGaudi's Architectural ModelsSelf-Reflexion and the Subconscious in Art-MakingArt and Ecstasy


Drawing Through A Linear Temperament, Jorge Miguel Benitez Jan 2006

Drawing Through A Linear Temperament, Jorge Miguel Benitez

Theses and Dissertations

I am a draftsman, painter and printmaker. This first person statement is a written extension of the art that constitutes my thesis. It discusses the links between my work and the Enlightenment, Humanism, Catholicism, ethics and the Western canon as well as my use of perspective and other classical techniques in relation to history, language, high art, popular culture, propaganda, contemporary upheavals, Christian and Islamic Fundamentalism, globalization and the digital revolution. Furthermore, the main arguments draw upon my Cuban origin and European ancestry, the Cuban Revolution, my Belgian early education and eventual American hybrid identity. The overriding theme, however, concerns …


Evolving A Theatre Of Truth, Susan Hayes Jan 2006

Evolving A Theatre Of Truth, Susan Hayes

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the challenges of evolving a Theatre of Truth in the context of the immediate zeitgeist. The questions I address are the role of feminist theatre in a world dominated by global media and corporate omnipotence; the conflation of theatre and Realpolitick; the limitations of postmodern thought and critical theory, and the struggle not only of the marginalized, but of all of us to create an activist theatre in perilous times. After examining my response to directing a production of Mud by Maria Irene Fornes, this project will also suggest that a theatre of specialized singular interests, such …


Innate, Kiara Pelissier Jan 2006

Innate, Kiara Pelissier

Theses and Dissertations

I often think of life as a tight rope stretching across an expanse. Our inner strength enables us to walk forward across it. When this fails us, we fall. But in those moments when we prevail, we soar and float as though weightless and timeless. As a gymnast I learned that control of one's insecurities results in a powerful and balanced presence of body. Give into them and the body becomes uncertain and clumsy. Rarely is life this transparent. Many forms of tension manifest themselves in physical, spiritual, and emotional unrest. How does the physical contour of the skin reflect …