Art and Design Commons^™

Unfolding Remembrance: Folding Islamic Principles Into Pondering Machines, Hind Al Saad Al-Kuwari

Theses and Dissertations

Principles of early Islamic art can be surveyed as a precursor to Western computational art. Though produced in different historical and cultural contexts, Islamic art and computational art are connected by underlying structures—arithmetic, harmony, and the concept of the Infinite.

Islamic developments in knowledge, like algebra, contributed to mathematics and mechanics—the building blocks of contemporary technology. Returning to Islam’s traditional harmony between religion and science, my creative practice constructs machines as an act of worship (ʿibadah), folding Islamic principles into the medium of computation.

Selected verses from the Quran are used as the core of each automaton (self-operating machine). Their …

A Walk In The Woods, Caitlin Mclean

Theses and Dissertations

A connection with nature fosters increased appreciation, admiration, and responsibility toward the natural environment, thus encouraging the mindful use of its resources and preservation of both species and their habitats. Defined by Mayer and Frantz (2004) as an “experiential sense of oneness with the natural world”, this connection is more important now than ever in this highly digital era. Studies indicate that limited exposure to nature can negatively impact the activation of neural pathways associated with pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors (Chawla, 2020), while further research shows that engagement with the outdoors during childhood as a significant life experience (Chawla, 1998), …

How To Forget, Jesse D. Hoyle

Theses and Dissertations

How To Forget was born from a need to give tangible form to the psychic residue left behind by a life lived. Through the use of silk-screening of red clay mud onto ink-jet photographs, archival textiles, and site-specific installations, I attempt to tie and/or divorce myself from my own and my family's extended history and examine the function of memory within the dynamics of the archive. How To Forget takes a non-linear, non-chronological approach to this examination, compressing decades of time and space through the manipulation of the archive and my own self-portraiture, designed specifically to deny myself from its …

Shinners, Alexis E. Mabry

Theses and Dissertations

Shinners is a project that aims to examine the position of women in subcultures and capture conversations of women in subcultural sports. Within feminism, sociological constructs, campy horror, and personal experience I am manifesting the physical and mental obstacles faced in the subcultural sport of Bicycle Motocross (BMX) through photography, painting, collage, video, and sculpture. I interpret images posted to social media of injuries obtained while riding BMX as forms of empowerment, bodily gore as extreme evidence of participation, performative violence, valorizing the understanding of both the physical and psychological pain of failure, and the use of failure as a …

Points Of Contact, Giancarlo Venturini

Theses and Dissertations

The work in Points of Contact arises from engaging love as it relates to distance, desire, and longing. This paper will analyze my painting practice and its evolution from the explicit to implicit. Specifically I am going to talk about my utilization of landscape painting to consider another way of expressing sexuality and queerness. I will explain how objects and landscapes are conduits for feelings that can intrinsically hold allegorical representations. This show is about searching through vast spaces to find points of connection in the natural world. I will talk about portals and the varied degrees of accessible windows …

Expect: A Speculative Documentary Filmed In Vr Utilizing The Role-Playing Method To Explore Disabilities And Ableism In Science Fiction, Leilei Xia

Theses and Dissertations

Expect is a speculative documentary filmed in Virtual Reality (VR) that features Chinese actors with disabilities to explore, challenge and reimagine the conventional ableist Sci-Fi tropes and the transhumanistic tendency to “fix” or eradicate disabilities through technological enhancement. I invited people with disabilities who are interested in Sci-Fi to do a Role-Playing with me in Virtual Reality (VR), in which they imagine themselves to be living in a future civilization, an alien planet, or an alternate universe. The participants came up with their own fictional characters and built their own world views. I interacted with them by asking questions and …

Beyond The Veil: Hijabi Superheroes And The Power Of Representation, Moom Thahinah Ms

Theses and Dissertations

As a Hijabi woman, I am often misrepresented by stereotypical narratives in Western media that obscure my individuality and agency. My thesis addresses the misrepresentation of Hijabi women, challenges audience perceptions, and empowers Hijabi women to confront these narratives.

Informed by design and media discourse, I developed a narrative and a Hijabi superhero character appropriating tropes of Western comic books. The resulting research combines two outcomes: a print-based narrative and a transformative garment. Print media is used to address the lack of Hijabi representation in Western comics while showcasing the character’s ability to combat discrimination. Derived from the comic format, …

Inspiring A Ripple: A Case For Evidence-Based, Biophilic Design For Affordable Housing, Chelcey A. Dunham

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

RELEVANCE

Currently in the US, 4 million families in need of affordable housing are not housed in affordable units and are spending 30-50% of their monthly income toward rent (Aurand, 2023.) Due to this shortage of affordable housing and the trajectory of its growth, advocacy groups and policy makers are making a push to fund more affordable housing projects. What if the designs of these projects were informed in such a way that individual and community mental health and wellness could be addressed in addition to meeting the demand for affordable, safe shelter? In this way, the return on …

In Shame I Will Find Paradise, Taehee Whang

Theses and Dissertations

As a Korean American non-binary digital artist and designer, my recent explorations have focused on using voice as a medium to articulate nuanced feelings of displacement and the intricate relationships between language, identity, and expression. This journey expands beyond my personal experiences with gender dysphoria, delving into the lives of non-binary and transgender individuals undergoing gender-affirming voice therapy. Through my thesis research, I have developed interactive multimedia installations inspired by dialogues with individuals such as Umico Niwa, who traveled to Korea for voice feminization surgery, and Jeong Yoon Lee from Hyperlink Press, a four-year participant in Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). …

Sense Make Before Book, Bradley Sinanan

Theses and Dissertations

“Sense Make Before Book” is an Indo-Caribbean turn of phrase which refers to common sense being more important than book smarts. My sister sent me a post the other day on Instagram of an Trinidadian woman using this phrase, saying it was one of Indo-Caribbean origin. I was interested and asked my mom about it. My mom says that when she was younger my grandpa said it often around their house in Princes Town, Trinidad and Tobago. This adage feels charged thinking about the history of indenture and its effects on the Indo-Caribbean diaspora.

The written word of archival history …

Politics Of Being A Lover: In Art, (Space) And Kink, Rabeeha Adnan

Theses and Dissertations

Politics of being a lover: in art, (space) and kink explores my relationship with my practice through observations and stories that draw parallels with romance and kink. Narrated as love affairs turned into complex commitment, it shuffles through logics of structural power, control, and communication in the context of praxis and art institutions.

Double Jointed: Gendered Flexibility And The Overextended Self, Grace A. Bromley

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores compulsory domesticity and the impulse to overextend oneself, both pressures often associated with the construct of femininity. Through diving into my personal history, which includes growing up in a three-generational home of women, I explore mimesis as it functions in both the replication of identity and in terms of pictorial representation; specifically I address its relationship to gender, manifestation within the body, and the search for subjectivity through the process of making and thinking. In various forms of material explorations, I play with ideas of malleability, mimicry and “embedded” behaviors that are passed down and embodied in …

May Your Flight Be Smooth, The Wind Calm, The Cloud Safe, And The Sky Blue!, Kai Chuang

Theses and Dissertations

They were born in a port city, on an island. In their eyes, many things seemed like the water. Fluid, compound, and ambiguous. Those things shift shapes with their containers, blending with elements from various sources, carrying multiple meanings, images and interpretations.

The sea is deep and endless, similar to stories, quests and dreams.

The coastline is a constant dialogue among the land, the ocean, the wind, organisms, physics, the past, randomness, and chance…When they think about boundaries, they recall the coastline.

Particl Plant Medicine, Tommye Dean

Theses and Dissertations

In an era marked by a growing recognition of mental health as a critical component of overall well-being, unconventional approaches to therapeutic interventions have gained prominence. One such intervention coincides with the importance of setting the intersection of psychedelic therapy and interior design, creating a synergistic environment for emotional healing and self-discovery. This thesis ventures to delve into the uncharted territory where the realms of altered states of consciousness and thoughtful spatial design converge, seeking to discover the profound impact this collaboration may have on the therapeutic and design landscape.

Side Effects, Shannon R. Kurzyniec

Theses and Dissertations

Through the exploration of the personal and social impacts of prescription medications on the human condition, I have discovered that the side effects of prescription medications on myself and others are much greater than I had ever anticipated. The deeper I dig into my subconscious, the further back I find that the impact was created. Most of us are taught at a young age to take medicine when we don’t feel well. Stomach ache, headache, sore throat, fever, even the imaginary boo boo is given a pill to cure. As we age we begin to reach for pills due to …

Zaytouna: Rooted Histories In Uprooted Memories, Naima M. Almajdobah

Theses and Dissertations

Palestinians, whether living under occupation or—like myself—in the diaspora, experience a complex journey of displacement and dispossession stemming from the Nakba of 1948. This reality shapes our collective identity, rooted in our connection to our homeland.

Zaytouna explores an under-researched topic: the relationship between the olive tree and uprooted Palestinians. It reveals a rich tapestry of narratives that encompass the quintessential and everlasting relationship between a land and its people. The resulting interactive archival installation consists of two parts: audio recordings from Palestinians in the diaspora, which capture their memories and voices; and visuals, which represent the storytellers’ places of …

Tchu Tcha Tcha: The Transformative Role Of Funk, Adriane De Souza

Theses and Dissertations

Cultural disconnection and homesickness are part of expatriate life. My research investigates the transformative power of Brazilian funk, which, for me, evokes restorative memories of home and life in Rio de Janeiro.

Originating in North America, funk made an exciting leap and found a new home in Brazil, particularly in Rio de Janeiro. Over time, it has become firmly established and thoroughly Brazilianized, infused with local instruments and influences, leading to the emergence of a new genre of music known as Brazilian funk.

Transplanted again, to Qatar, this work celebrates the migration of funk through a combination of still images, …

Capiz Reborn: Preserving And Enhancing Traditional Philippine Shellcraft, Destarte A. Prieto

Theses and Dissertations

The capiz shell is a thin, translucent exoskeleton of a mollusk found in the Philippine Sea. Traditionally, capiz shells were made into window panes and home decor, used so widely they became an iconic part of Philippine identity. Today, the influx of cheap, mass-produced merchandise threatens the capiz shell industry. To encourage renewed interest and sustainable revival of this long-standing industry, my research demonstrates new possibilities for the capiz shell.

In reconstituting cast-off bits and shell trimmings to form a new capiz biomaterial, my work is informed by the three traditional techniques used by Philippine capiz artisans—sewing, welding and bonding. …

Fear Of God: Exploring Transformative Potential, Misunderstanding, Systemic Challenges, And The Future., Jermaine Ollivierre

Theses and Dissertations

This personal journey is a testament to the transformative power of play within my practice. It is a love story between me and the institution, sparked by my fervor for communal creativity in a graduate school environment. Through creative endeavors like public art installations and silent artist talks, I confront racial dynamics and institutional reluctance to engage with complex issues like Black Lives Matter. My personal experiences of alienation are woven into the broader themes of community building, communication, and systemic change. I navigate the complexities of group mentality and exclusion by deliberately using unconventional forms of expression, such as …

Mano De Obra: Exploring Processes And Materiality In Artwork, Karla Gabriela De La Fuente

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis paper examines the theoretical derivatives and artistic influences that drive the artist’s ongoing series of works exploring the human experience of the working class in the border region of South Texas and beyond. Through the use of found objects, organic regional materials, adopted and adapted processes; the artist creates artwork that teeters on a tightrope between sweet, subtle naivety, and sudden, robust spoonfuls of truth. The artwork has an emphasis on the materiality, and the parallel between the “Mano de Obra” of the artist at work and that of the working class of our communities.

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten. Eleven. Twelve. Thirteen. Fourteen. Fifteen. Sixteen. Seventeen. Eighteen. Twenty. Twenty-One. Twenty-One. Twenty-Three. Twenty-Four. Twenty-Five. Twenty-Six., Liza Lacroix

Theses and Dissertations

"One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten. Eleven. Twelve. Thirteen. Fourteen. Fifteen. Sixteen. Seventeen. Eighteen. Twenty. Twenty-one. Twenty-one. Twenty-three.Twenty-four. Twenty-five. Twenty-six." is a biographical fiction of violence toward the protagonist. Comprised of writing, audio, documentation and intervention. This text is the first iteration, and the thesis work is the second iteration of the same.

Architectural And Heritage Experience Through Playful Learning (An Interdisciplinary And Exploratory Action Research Focused On The Egyptian Context), Atheer Ahmed Salama

Theses and Dissertations

“The lack of awareness of the value of heritage and the lack of opportunities to engage in preserving and safeguarding heritage in the public sphere not only puts the heritage in risk of being irremediably lost. It also impoverishes the younger generation’s sense of identity and belonging within its respective socio-cultural continuum, and thus limits its ability to engage and contribute meaningfully to society at large” (UNESCO, 2021). With conducting this research, the researcher believes that heritage-themed analog games may carve the younger generation’s memory of heritage, allowing them to boost their sense of identity and belonging; thus, widening their …

Someone Will Remember Us / I Say / Even In Another Time, Paul Anagnostopoulos

Theses and Dissertations

Paul Anagnostopoulos’s paintings and vases use mythological melodrama in a contemporary context to portray vivid images of queer life in the wake of homophobic erasure and tragic loss. “someone will remember us / I say / even in another time” traces his aggregate interests in Greco-Roman cultures and art history.

Dulce Sueños De Tierra, Sweet Dreams Of Earth, Jordany Genao

Theses and Dissertations

Jordany's paper congregates their archival research into an art practice that examines the decolonial impulse to excavate the self and produce autonomy. Using ceramics to reference and re-animate Taino ritual objects found in museums, resulting in alternative museology, their work seeks to honor Caribbean ancestors by subverting colonial history.

Alfred Barr, Water Lilies, & The Resurrection Of Claude Monet, Ally Huchro

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis triangulates the answer to the ultimate question: What trends, events, people, and policies inspired and enabled Alfred Barr to acquire Claude Monet’s Water Lilies (1914-26) in 1955, thereby igniting the unprecedented Monet revival?

Skin Echoes, Andreia Santana

Theses and Dissertations

Santana’s explores the intersection of biology and identity, incorporating living matter and performative gestures into installations to reflect on social constructs of history and gender. By observing water and its qualities of defying Western dichotomies, Skin Echoes focuses on the material interchanges across bodies and the wider material world.

Tied Together, Eiko Nishida

Theses and Dissertations

The paper is about a site-specific installation that questions a viewer’s norms and perspectives, through the use of multilingual newspapers as a sculptural material.

Blueprints, Lauryn E. Welch

Theses and Dissertations

“Blueprints” is an open letter on chronic illness and its shaping of the artist’s partnership and painting practice. Through the framework of a house—foyer, kitchen, library, bedroom, garden—put in relation to the body, this paper examines the vibrant matter inside, as an alliance of parts including people, objects, and spaces.

Or Read The Wikipedia Entry For The Parable Of The Tower Of Babel But Imagine It’S 2023 This Time And We’Re Getting So Close Just Give The Artist A Little More Of Your Money, David Thonis

Theses and Dissertations

Systems and their inherent design underlie everything in contemporary life. Design exists to facilitate interaction, to ease workflow, to keep us producing. As such, it exerts its own control.

Through disassembling recurring conventions in design, I look to break with preconceptions of logic. To deny functionality. In doing so, my intention is to dislocate the user from the usual patterns of applicable systems.

The resulting discomfort may feel strange, disembodied, but it should be embraced. Long have capitalism’s solutions created more problems. In the face of this complexity, and beyond it, there can be freedom.

The Cosmicomica, Corinne Bernard

Theses and Dissertations

My drawings are a reconciliation of multiple, coexisting truths. They are a practice of creating a new relationship with this world and myself in it; creating a system of symbols that give substance to the same primordial gunk we swim in daily.