Art and Design Commons^™

Drselects: Davide Fassi, Iac Member, Davide Fassi

DRSelects

No abstract provided.

Blueprints, Sara Alfieri

School of Art, Art History, and Design: Theses and Student Creative Work

I am captivated by the relationship between ceramic vessels and architecturally-inspired structures. My goal is to create a variety of abstract compositions that are both visually stimulating and functionally engaging. Through the act of fitting, placing, and interacting with forms and surfaces, I explore the interplay between design, function, and accessibility. These interactions, in turn, invite a deeper exploration of how we navigate and experience space, both visually and physically.

The structures in my work serve as both tangible and conceptual support systems for my ceramic vessels. While the vessels can exist independently, their connection with the structures is revealing. …

Artificial Interiors, Alex Renbarger

School of Art, Art History, and Design: Theses and Student Creative Work

Artificial Interiors is a series of intimately scaled paintings that depict dramatically lit domestic interiors. My limited yet saturated color palette creates a dark atmosphere that feels both strange and familiar, contributing to the unsettling ambiance of the domestic scenes. Their origins in Artificial Intelligence (AI) prompts further reinforce this effect. Each painting begins as a composite collage created with AI-generated images, iterative prompts, and Photoshop, in a process that creates fantasy spaces, detached from real ones, even as their elements - sofas, chairs, corners, stairs - suggest common expectations and experiences for domestic life in the U.S.

These digitally …

Cornelia Fort Airpark, Ava L. Zindel

SPARK Symposium Presentations

Cornelia Fort Airpark is an abandoned private airport that has been turned into a festival space, park, and biking trail for the people of Nashville. The Airport operated from the 1940s to 2011 until it was deemed unusable after the Cumberland River flooded Nashville in 2010. The park now hosts the Cornelia Fort Pickin' Party every summer, a community event featuring folk artists, craft beer, and local vendors. It is named after the first female pilot to die on duty in WWII, Cornelia Fort. She grew up in Tennessee, and the airpark was built in the 1940s, not far from …

Alvar Aalto: Past. Present.Future, Matthew Collins

Interior Design Capstones

Alvar Aalto serves as a timeless guide for architectural and design principles. These principles are not of universal rigidness but are flexible based on the givenconditions of site, culture, and people. His traditionalmethods of sketching and drawing create a hand to mind connection to the design process. This process, much like his work, develops a mindful and thoughtful outcome of decisions. With computer technology become more increasingly apart of our lives, it is important that we not forget the human point of view rather than purely a rational mode of thinking. This capstone project address how it is possible to …

Architecture Of Union: Exploring Community-Supported Wedding Venues, Erica Keillor

Interior Design Capstones

Weddings, as deeply symbolic rituals, often rely heavily on the venue to set the tone and enhance the emotional resonance of the event Yet, the rising cost of wedding venues often excludes couples from lower-to-middle income backgrounds, creating a barrier to access for many. This design project explores the potential of a community-supported greenhouse wedding venue—a model that not only offers affordability through shared community investment but also enhances the symbolic resonance of weddings through its nature-integrated architecture. The design investigates how intentional spatial planning within a greenhouse structure can serve both the practical needs of wedding ceremonies and the …

Food, Design & Desire, Emily Harnden

Interior Design Capstones

The research presented in Food, Design, and Desire examines the impactful role of interior design in shaping the connection between humans and food, with a focus on fine dining environments. Grounded by the thesis, the ideal dining experience creates a profound connection to oneself and the environment around you. This project investigates how built environments influence diners’ emotional and physical experiences, enhancing their intimacy with food. The research addresses the interplay between space, desire, and the human relationship with culinary experiences, aiming to develop design strategies that increase customer retention and deepen the human connection to food.

This project utilizes …

“Gli Scheletri Della Dittatura”: Fascist Art, Architecture, And Monuments In Modern Italy, John "Jack" Moore

History & Classics Undergraduate Theses

When Italy reconstituted itself as a republic in 1948, it inherited the art, architecture, and monuments that were constructed under Fascism. Many of these artifacts contained inherent Fascist imagery and were made to exalt the regime, but Italy’s postwar government – known as the First Republic – neglected to systematically confront them. This mirrored the First Republic’s approach to shaping Italy’s memory of Fascism, as the government established an anti-fascist narrative without addressing the country’s support for the regime. During the 1980s, notions of anti-fascism began to fall alongside the political power structure upholding them. This coincided with the rise …

Locally Stranded - Addressing Rural Cases Of Domestic Violence, Owen Phillips, Robin Puttock

Symposium of Student Scholars

Domestic violence is a nationwide crisis affecting millions of women each year and saw an increase in severity during the Covid-19 pandemic (2020-2022). In Georgia, 37.4% of women report experiencing physical violence by an intimate partner. The situation is especially dire in rural areas, where women experience 150% more incidents at a more intense level than their urban counterparts and must travel three times farther to access resources. Rural women are also nearly twice as likely to be turned away from services due to a lack of space, staffing, and resources. Existing shelters often fail to meet victims' needs because …

An Essay Of Images From Playlab Inc., Playlab Inc., Archie Lee Coates Iv

Digital Laboratory: Publisher of Internet Journal

A series of images depicting the illustrious Playlab Inc. as a collection of projects in different mediums. The LA-based design studio has contributed to fashion, art, and urban culture through collaborations with major institutions and emerging artists. The photo essay highlights Playlab Inc.’s diverse projects and installations, embodying its core philosophy: no focus. This principle guides the studio to the cutting-edge of contemporary culture, where innovation meets execution. The creative powerhouse has demonstrated a capacity to engage with contemporary cultural movements through its projects. For instance, in the OTW Vans project, the firm acquired images from notable skate photographers Atiba …

Fragments Within Fragments: The Collective Negotiation Of Exquisite Corpse Drawings, Defry Agatha Ardianta, Yandi Andri Yatmo, Paramita Atmodiwirjo

Interiority

This paper argues for the critical role of collective drawings as a form of representation that highlights the open process. The open process of collective drawing involves actions performed by multiple actors and actions that are not limited to producing drawings together but also require the expression of ideas. Collective drawing encourages negotiations among fragments of the drawing, which opens up various possibilities of representations within the interiority discourse. Exquisite corpse drawings made by Surrealist artists occupy an influential position as drawings produced via an open process regulated by the internal mechanism, manifesting as a continuous act of drawing. This …

Analysis Of The Represented Interior Space: Hermeneutic Study Of The Peres Maldonado Ex-Voto, Blanca Ruiz Esparza Díaz De León, Héctor Omar Gonzaléz Romo

Interiority

The paper demonstrates the application of Henri Lefebvre's postulates in the hermeneutical study of the Peres Maldonado Ex-voto, created in Aguascalientes in 1777. This piece, authored by an unknown artist, likely illustrates the first mastectomy performed in Mexican lands. This study employs an analytical framework that integrates the propositions made by the philosopher Henri Lefebvre and the experiential spatial systems proposed by the authors. The former formulates a conceptual foundation that unfolds the body in three spatial dimensions: mental, physical, and social. The unfolding could make possible the defragmentation of the painting's elements to analyse the concept of corporeality or …

Decrypting Interiority Of Albert Camus' The Stranger Through Absurdist Architectural Symbolism, Peter Akongfeh Agwu, Angela A. Ajimase, Edward Ugbada Adie, John Ogidi Acha

Interiority

Since its publication in 1942, Camus' The Stranger (L'Étranger in French) has captivated readers and scholars alike, sparking a wealth of critical analysis and interpretation. However, the novel's minimalist descriptions of interior spaces have often been overlooked in academic discourses, making it a perennial subject of further scholarly inquiry. This study seeks to decrypt the interiority of this text by examining the absurdist architectural symbolism and dissecting the spatial elements embedded in its narrative. The aim is to unveil new layers of meaning in the protagonist's internal psyche and existential condition. Through close reading and thematic analysis of relevant passages, …

Dynamics Of Nodes: Adaptation Of Interior Places In A Historic Waterfront Community For Sustainability, Thanapan Laiprakobsup, Narongpon Laiprakobsup

Interiority

This study aims to investigate environmental interiority and urban conditions which promote adaptations of nodes as foci of place in the historic, suburban waterfront community. Nodes, existing as strategic places as public activity settings, on the other hand, have been barely examined in terms of the dynamic transition of interior places among urbanisation. The study argues that nodal adaptations taking up dynamic development play crucial functional roles in sustaining a waterfront community in connection with the implementation of place resources and accessible opportunities of new transportation networks. Nodal adaptations lead to the emergence of new functions and place identity in …

Transforming A Public Flexible Space Into An Artistic Place For Leisure – An Artistic Intervention For Downtown Arlington., Sowmya Kanaka

Landscape Architecture Masters & Design Theses - Archive

Open flexible spaces are often underutilized, undefined, or lacking identity, hold immense potential to become vibrant artistic places that support leisure, culture, and community life. transforming such flexible spaces into Community-led arts places serve as adaptable environments that can shift to meet evolving cultural and recreational needs. By integrating artistic intervention through public art, interactive installations, and creative spatial programming, formerly Underutilized open space becomes an anchor of activity drawing residents and visitors and influencing adjacent areas to align with its renewed identity. Arts-driven public spaces attract consistent foot traffic and recurring events, stimulating social and economic exchange. When artistic …

Strata: Layered Support Through Community, Resources, & Design, Jenna M. Sawyer

Theses and Dissertations

Strata reimagines transitional housing as a layered, responsive ecosystem that supports the holistic well-being of individuals experiencing housing insecurity. Inspired by the vertical structure of a forest canopy, the design integrates biophilic principles, trauma-informed strategies, and sustainable practices to create a dignified, inclusive environment. Located in the historic Sauer’s Factory in Richmond, Virginia, the project leverages adaptive reuse to ground the building in local context while addressing systemic gaps in supportive housing. Public amenities, such as a hygiene center, café, learning spaces, and a free store, encourage community integration and reduce stigma, while flexible private units and calming retreat spaces …

Visions Of The Garden: Transforming The Former Claremont Golf Course Into The Coastal Sage Mosaic, Ella C. Kim

Pitzer Senior Theses

A thirty-three-acre parcel of land sits at the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains at a vulnerable wildland-urban interface (WUI), raising key ecological concerns. This parcel, a former golf course, is the focused site for this conceptual landscape and restoration plan. The now-neglected site has no proposed plans for restoration or development yet holds significant potential for transformation. Stakeholders’ conflicting visions range from land preservation, ecological restoration, Indigenous land rights, commodification for revenue and development, and prioritizing the needs of the natural environment in coexistence with modern human enjoyment. The conceptual plan addresses these critical considerations in verbal and visual …

Adaptation For Whom? Understanding The Impacts Of Dyke Policies On Small-Scale Farmers In Ca Mau Province Of Vietnam, Nguyen Minh Quang, Nguyen Van Minh, Nguyen Vo Chau Ngan, Martha B. Lerski

Publications and Research

Low-lying deltas worldwide are extremely vulnerable to sea-level rise. As the risks of climate-induced flooding become increasingly clear, the thirst for infrastructure-driven adaptation increases. This highlights a patent need to understand the impacts of engineering adaptation solutions, especially those targeting built structures such as dykes and sluices, on farmers from a bottom-up, farmer-centred perspective. The study addresses this call by examining cases where dyke policies, while successful in some dimensions, have undermined small-scale farmer livelihoods in Ca Mau ― Vietnam’s southernmost rural province. It identifies areas in need of attention and adds empirical data related to this group of farmers. …

Review: The Shape Of Power: Stories Of Race And American Sculpture, Jiaying (Gloria) Dai

Art Inquiries

The Shape of Power: Stories of Race and American Sculpture, co-curated by Karen Lemmey,

Tobias Wofford, and Grace Yasumura, ambitiously asked: How does American sculpture

intersect with the history of race in the United States?1 Positioning itself as the first major survey

exhibition of American sculpture in decades, this exhibition featured 82 sculptures created by 70

artists spanning from 1792 to 2023.

Lilly Reich: La Mente Detrás Del Mobiliario Moderno Que La Historia Olvidó, Noa Llanas Angrill

GDI. Revista de investigación de Género, Diseño e Innovación

La historia ha sido escrita desde una perspectiva que se ha invisibilizado las contribuciones femeninas en su desarrollo. Este artículo se centra en Lilly Reich (1885-1947), figura clave del diseño moderno, cuya autoría ha sido eclipsada por la de su colaborador Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. La investigación evidencia que la diseñadora no solo contribuyó al diseño de mobiliario moderno y de espacios expositivos, sino que lideró proyectos clave y que su trabajo ha impactado en el diseño expositivo, textil y mobiliario moderno.

The Cut Worm Forgives The Plow, August Neuscheler

Theses and Dissertations

The explorations in this thesis writing are centered on William Blake’s proverb “The cut worm forgives the plow.” It has been reinterpreted as an allegory of history and energy. A theory of their relation is proposed based on forgiveness, a theory that accepts the palimpsest of orders as evidence for the abundance of the present moment. The writing focuses on questions of proportionality, scale, archaeological screening methods, planar cutting, and a critique of entropy as grounds for this theory. Some of its subjects include the Statue of Liberty, Kate Raworth’s donut economic model, sashimi, triangulation, Joseph Beuys’ “7,000 Eichen,” semiconductors, …

Shared Architecture Of The Sacred:Designing Sacred Spaces In Virtual Reality, Ian Gonsher, Sameerah Munshi

Scholarly Research

This project investigates how sacred spaces might be conceived and experienced within virtual reality (VR). Through interfaith dialogue, design research, and iterative prototyping, we explored affordances in virtual environments for prayer, contemplation, study, and communal gathering. Drawing on insights from Jewish and Islamic traditions in particular, we developed design principles that informed the creation of a pilot prototype for sacred space in VR. This paper presents the conceptual framework, design process, and architectural strategies embodied and expressed in that pilot prototype, with particular attention to the formal and symbolic elements of light, orientation, sound, and written text. Additionally, the project …

An Experimental Investigation Into The Influence Of Colored Lighting On Perceived Spatial Impressions, Heejin Lee, Eunsil Lee

Funded Scholarship

The present study investigates the psychological impact of lighting color on spatial impressions within indoor settings, drawing on Mehrabian and Russell’s PAD model. The purpose of this study is to explore potential variations in spatial impressions, encompassing affectivity, tranquility, and thermality, across six different lighting colors (i.e., red, green, blue, yellow, orange, and purple). A controlled laboratory experiment was conducted with 101 participants, utilizing a color-changing LED lighting fixture to expose participants to actual lighting conditions rather than simulated images. The findings revealed significant differences in spatial impressions among the six lighting colors, indicating that the choice of lighting color …

Design Thinking For Health Environments: Case Study Research On Innovation, Design Leadership, And Healthcare Complexity, Diana S. Nicholas

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

As healthcare costs are skyrocketing, of the 6,093 hospitals in America, 53% will lose money in the current year (Coleman-Lochner, 2022). Design health innovation centers (DHICs) are formed in Europe and the United States to create efficiencies in healthcare related to budget challenges. DHICs exist in unique contexts both in America and Europe that are not yet well understood. These efforts are difficult to lead due to the lack of understanding of their worth and how their process is valuable to healthcare settings (Bhattacharyya et al., 2022). The specific problem examined here is that little is known about how DHIC …

Art Inquiries, Xix:1, Front Matter, Mysoon Rizk

Art Inquiries

No abstract provided.

An Interview With Sharon Lee Hart, Mysoon Rizk, Sharon Lee Hart

Art Inquiries

No abstract provided.

Spirit And Invention: Drawings By Giambattista And Domenico Tiepolo, Roberto G. Peredo

Art Inquiries

No abstract provided.

Speculations On Brunelleschi’S Pazzi Chapel, Howard A. Risatti Professor Emeritus, Donald Schrader

Art Inquiries

Why speculate on Filippo Brunelleschi’s Pazzi Chapel? As Giorgio Vasari wrote, many of Brunelleschi’s projects were not finished in his lifetime and not as he wished. The lesson to be drawn, says Vasari, who was writing a century after Brunelleschi’s death, is that “anyone who wishes to leave a memorial of his existence should complete it in his own lifetime and not put faith in anyone else.” Since Brunelleschi died well before the chapel was completed, issues have been raised for over a century about its inconsistencies regarding the open loggia, the barrel-vaulted portico, and the façade. This paper addresses …

Corsets Off. Camille Claudel And Polish Women Sculptors Of The 19th Century, Beata Niedzialkowska

Art Inquiries

No abstract provided.

Indian Theater: Native Performance, Art, And Self-Determination Since 1969, Shannon Bewley

Art Inquiries

No abstract provided.