Art and Design Commons^™

In A Small Sea, Thomas Giebler

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

A pool of water stands before you. It is nebulous and free flowing. As you peer in, you realize how vast and deep something initially so unassuming on the surface has become.

This is my small sea.

Within this sea that rests between my ears, I am a small ‘c’ creator. This body of water is filled with experiences, inspiration, and vision. In this place, I synthesize the world around me into my work, creating microcosms that are full of life, color, and story. The idea of microcosms is the cornerstone of my design.

Within each of my created worlds, …

Bloodlines, Tyler Dallis

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Connections are valuable in everyday life. Bloodlines speaks about my personal connections to my biological, adoptive, and found families, along with my heritage and what it means to be a contemporary Indigenous artist. I am not much of a sentimental person when it comes to physical objects, but I collect memories of the people closest to me. Through the process of collecting memories, I am creating a mental Rolodex of experience, people, things, and events from my life. When building my pieces, I braid these memories into the clay as I coil the form to completion. Embedding them into the …

Mettle, Chelsey Augustine

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

While many see Graphic Design as a separation from art, for me, it has always been a happy blend between my fine art and technological skills. In both areas, I think about what I want the audience to think of feel when the pieces in question. Form, color, anatomy, and concept are all part of my creative process, regardless of whether I am creating digitally with a Wacom or building a wax form in the foundry.

During my graduate studies, I started to get into a flow of building narratives to hone in on conceptual branding ideas. Being able to …

Of Dust, Bethany Panhorst

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Death is all around us. We know that all people eventually die, but contemporary society prefers to sanitize and remove death from our experience. This is not a new phenomenon. Humanity has long held an aversion to this mysterious and degrading process. We understand since we despise pain and loss. Death periodically intrigues us, but more so when we feel that we are standing at a safe distance. I grapple with the ugliness and mystery surrounding death, but I also hope for an end of loss and sorrow. From a position of belief in death’s passing, I create ceramic sculptures …

Everything Changes, Nothing Dies., Olivia S. Stinson

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

My recent work directly responds to my current state of being. The past three years have °been the peak of the exploration within myself, learning the capacity of my mind. I’ve spent my time in the heat of trauma, filled with anger and resentment. I’ve spent time in a steady state of confusion, wondering who exactly I am and who I want to be. I am in a constant state of change, thinking deeply about my actions and how I can improve on processing the correlating emotions. Creating a body of work during times when listening to conversations within the …

Mycelium, Minjoo Lee

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Mycelium (noun)

/mʌɪˈsiːlɪəm/

plural: mycelia

the vegetative, root-like part of a fungus, consisting of a network of fine white thread-like filaments (hyphae).

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From as long as I can remember,

I’ve drawn inspiration from nature. I’ve always looked to create art and designs that contain the same visual elements and story-telling that is so present in nature.

In mycelia, I found inspiration in the fact that they are vital in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems for their role in the decomposition of material. They give life to what has died, turning negative into positive.

TATUME ISLAND Tattoo Studio was born out …

Forbidden Female, Kailin Nielsen

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

The historical, political, and sexist stereotypes of the female narrative in society have produced an unrealistic and commoditized persona of what it means to be a female. My artwork narrates my relationship with the female body in an authentic and bold depiction. Women have been forbidden for thousands of years to define their narrative and be able to use their voices. I’m proud to be a female, and I show this by size, color, and texture through my artwork.

After the overturning of Roe V. Wade in 2022, I was confused and conflicted with the legislative rights pertaining to the …

Fraz, Caitlyn Frazer

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Phrase /fraz/ noun:

A small group of words standing together as a conceptual unit, typically forming a component of a clause.

Frazer:

My last name. A word that encapsulates my family's stories, creativity, and legacy.

Fraz:

The title of my thesis show, it combines both the former words into one. Fraz is the idea of pulling family history and distilling it into visual storytelling through graphic design and creating the conceptual unit that is me. I am a unit that is multifaceted and strive to have work that is dimensional and encompass aspects of all different media including photography, sculpture, …

On The Line Mfa Thesis Exhibition Cassi Rebman, Cassandra Rebman

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

My work asks, “What are we capable of and what might be holding us back?” I survey of themes of mortality and human frailty, psychological susceptibility, dependence and codependence, established ideas of being and an increased mediation of our experience through the screen.

I make strange and confounding objects that seek to entice as much as they repel. Though I gain method, means and motivation from the Dadaists and Neo-Dadaists, my work fits within the pluralism of the postmodern. By making material and stylistic choices to fit the narrative of each piece, I utilize the familiar and the uncanny with …

Tree Line, Eric Joseph Jensen

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

I was raised under a doctrine of extreme truth that cast a shadow over all reality. Upon rejecting that dogma, my life became a search to replace that truth. I’ve looked for it by immersing myself in the natural world and exploring my relationship with it through paint. My landscape painting practice has brought me a wealth of experiences; however, it has not given me an answer that fills the void of my upbringing. My thesis paper is an account of the questions, research, and paintings that surround my search. Nothing, it turns out, is absolute. There is a beauty …

One In Every Twenty-Six, Rey'na Riggans

Capstone Showcase

There is a disorder that is rather common within the world and yet is not well known. It is a something that affects one in every twenty-six individuals. It is called epilepsy. Epilepsy is a neurological disorder in which a person to experience bursts of random electrical activity within their brains, these bursts being called "seizures." This article discusses this disorder and goes into detail about the forms of it, procedures that are done to try and help those living with epilepsy, and artwork that is inspired by this disorder.

Rabbit Hole, Olivia Wiebe

Scripps Senior Theses

Rabbit Hole explores an alternate reality which erupts within moments of insomnia, and posits it as a place of self-discovery. Though this Rabbit Hole is a personal one, the work implies that these worlds can be found within any person when they are alone. Digital spaces have become tools of absolute availability and distraction, capitalized on by companies who profit when our eyeballs are stuck to our screens. However, cyberspace was once dreamed of as a place of self-discovery and experimentation. Rabbit Hole is an attempt to reclaim digital space, and turn towards ourselves within technology. These individual “Rabbit Holes” …

菠蘿包(Pineapple Bun): Exploring Memory And Language Through Animation, Elaine Yang

Scripps Senior Theses

菠蘿包(Pineapple Bun) explores the themes of reconstruction, evocation, and memory through my childhood in Taiwan. Inspired by other Asian American animators, I aim to tell a simple story of connection through my grandfather and I's daily swimming ritual. The film is a 3-minute animated short film following our language barrier and how we engage with each other's differing backgrounds.

2023-2024 Risd Course Catalog, Risd Registrar's Office, Risd Archives

RISD Course Catalogs / Announcements

No abstract provided.

Tradiciones, Selena Medellin

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

In the organic ceramic forms I create, I provide a look into memories of growing up with my late grandfather, a first generation Mexican-American. Our house was adorned with Mexican paintings, an altar for those that had passed, and traditional textiles such as sarapes, rugs, and blankets. I learned stories of our ancestors, the myths and legends of our native land, and that you must celebrate both life and death. I use the combination of ceramics and mixed media to convey both the vibrancy and solemnity of Mexican tradition. In my work, I reference Aztec Gods and Goddesses, Mexican textiles, …

Seeking Translation, Taryn Sakry

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

I am interested in how we navigate and understand the world around us. As we move through life, meeting different people and having new experiences, we develop a language of self-interpretation that allows us to communicate intangibles such as ideas, values, and emotions. Within this body of work, I explore this idea of translating self, highlighting the reinterpretation of memory and emotion through color and narrative. Seeking Translation includes woodcut, intaglio, silkscreen, and stone lithography prints. The multiplicity of printmaking allows me to experiment with the effects of different colors and juxtaposition of different materials and mediums. And while the …

An Exploration Into Public Art, Samantha Fazio

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project explores both the processes of designing and creating a mural and the community impact of public art. It aims to answer questions including: What goes into creating a mural? What is public art and why is it important? How does it socially and economically impact the community and its members? In doing this project, I aimed to gain a deeper understanding of how to create a mural and of the greater cultural context that public art projects exist in.

Graphic Design & Painting, Emily Zepp

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Starting with the desire to explore the connection between GD and painting, I realized the only difference between the two is the context in which the work is created. Both graphic design and painting seek to impart messages upon the viewer and explore a certain perspective. Success can be measured in both disciplines by the effectiveness of the communicated message.

The Old One And La Mer, Karter Tod Bernhardt

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

No abstract provided.

Women's Hall Of Fame, Brianna Kean

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

No matter how you identify we can all take actions in support of gender equality. Women have come a long way in society since Sacagawea’s time, but that doesn’t mean we live in an equal world. I was inspired by these ten women, and I hope you are too. Take that inspiration and turn it into action, so that maybe one day people might honor you for supporting women’s rights. This project honors ten women throughout history that have made an impact on women's rights and societal values. I created a portrait, a bio, and a poem that aims at …

Symbols In Sketchbooks, Diana Rice

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

My installation is an expression of the sketchbook in the sense that it is an object bound by time. Specifically, it is the assemblage of time, cognition, and the materiality of the sketchbook. The installation consists of various sized papers interlinked by tied thread. On the papers are drawings and sketches arranged in proximity to other sketches that are the inspiration or iteration of one another. Thus, a web of evolution is created. This project is an exploration of how images are created and evolved, such as symbols, and how the material construction and physical presentation of the installation affects …

Anyone Can Make A Religious Object: Undoing Spirituality And Contemporary Art, Mark Graham, Clark Goldsberry, Isaac Calvert

Faculty Publications

The spiritual dimensions of art and education have been explored for their potential to offer different ways of understanding or representing knowledge and their potential to inspire transcendence or cultivate wholeness. This article examines connections between transcendent or sacred territories of human existence, teaching, and contemporary art. Experiences of walking in the Himalayan mountains with Tibetan Buddhist monks, conversing with rabbis in Jerusalem, and teaching in state school classrooms are used to illustrate connections between education, spirituality, religion, and contemporary art. We seek to understand how the spiritual dimensions of education and contemporary art could be understood through the lenses …

For Everyone's Eyes Only: Digital Art As Public Art (Agency, Accessibility, And Aura), Linda Dai

Pomona Senior Theses

Should digital art qualify as public art? This thesis aims to explore the significance of this question in a contemporary context by cross-examining the two genres in terms of creative agency, accessibility, and aura. Through various interviews and case studies with global artists, I examine similarities and differences in materiality and engagement in public and digital art and the implications of my findings under broader, theoretical frameworks. I further seek to understand how the relationship between technology, art, and society has shifted over time. Ultimately, I argue that the fluidity of digital art allows to exist in public and private …

Driven By Personality: Exploring The Relationship Between Custom Cars And Self-Expression, Tharwa Dalansi

Theses and Dissertations

Custom Car Culture (CCC) is a form of creativity that emerges from personal identities and passions. It involves the restoration, modification and personal adornment of commercially manufactured cars. This process creates a journey, where the enthusiast goes through multiple phases of self-reflection. But due to a lack of local resources, Qatar-based CCC enthusiasts often have to send their cars abroad to Dubai or Japan in order to customize them, relinquishing creative control in the process.

In response to these challenges, based on observations and interviews conducted among actual CCC enthusiasts, I develop a platform for engagement between these enthusiasts and …

Intersect- On The Corner Of Princess Anne And William, Madison M. Goff

Theses and Dissertations

After a worldwide pandemic, perspectives towards personal space and private quarters have shifted. Social distancing procedures during COVID-19 altered the use of space, even after vaccinations have been administered. After limits on large gatherings and keeping 6 feet away from each other, what is the expectation that people hold now when in public?

Research will include interviewing the intended user groups (students and travelers), designers who are familiar with hospitality and hostel design, and hospitality professionals. The perspective on private and public space has shifted after the pandemic, so a survey will target hostel age groups that could help understand …

Inhumanity Restored: Digital Play & Poetic Drama, Ali Emir Dağlar

Comparative Literature M.A. Essays

This essay addresses the relationship of digital games to absurdism through a comparison of the 2011 video game Dark Souls with Samuel Beckett’s absurdist play Waiting for Godot. Staked in this comparison is the rhetoric not only of Dark Souls but of the contemporary digital game as a medium; establishing an analogy that speaks to the broader genealogy of modern media, my argument implicates the underemphasized yet critically meaningful kinship of computer games and poetic theater. I argue that understanding the digital game vis-a-vis absurdism means explicating how the 20th century stage, particularly that of Beckett, prefigures contemporary digital worlds …

Wonderlandia, Daniel Pulido, Special Collections, Fleet Library

Artists' Books

11 unnumbered pages (some folded) : color illustrations (some foldout). Illustrated title page. Includes various types of illustrations including linocut and woodcut. Printed dark blue and red on beige paper. "1 aguafuertes con xilografía mdidas: 56 x 38 centímetros. relizadas en atelier alt schlachthof, Sgmaringen. Aemania, 2019". "6 linografías con xilografía 38 x 28 centímetros, realizadas en Ibagué Colombia, 2023". Text contains ornamental initials. Edition comprised of 4 copies. Handwritten poem with etchings, color woodcuts and linocuts, on mould made paper. Daniel Pulido is an artist and poet born in Colombia. He is a member and co-founder of the artist's …

The Project Of Hope: Middle Eastern Feminism In Controversy, Alla Myzelev

Art History

No abstract provided.

Playing To Win: The Effects Of Implementing Gamification Strategies In Product Marketing, Sabrina Stone

CMC Senior Theses

Let’s play a game. What effect do you think video games have on twenty-first-century marketing? In this age defined by its nature of digitality, capturing the attention of consumers is an arduous competition. Through market segmentation, research, and the observable variables of consumer behavior, product marketing has turned to video games as a solution to appeal to younger demographics. Gamification is an increasingly applied product marketing strategy employed to increase favorable metrics. Of those key performance indicators (KPIs), boosted measures such as click-through rates, impressions, and engagement rates suggest that gamification is a strategic opportunity to persuade consumers to take …

Feeling Analogue: Using Modular Synthesizers, Designing Synthesis Communities, Eliot Bates

Publications and Research

When Harald Bode nominally invented the modular synthesiser in 1960, it was not yet clear whether it was a musical instrument or a less-defined form of studio-sited audio technology (Subotnik 1970). Much of the technology, from the interface design to the specific parts, was shared with nonmusical test and measurement equipment. Sixty years later, hardware modular synthesis is used not just for musical creation but for noise, sound art and data sonification/visualization. Through an ethnographic study of the design and use of the Eurorack modular synthesis format, and of modular synthesis maker and user communities spread through North America, Europe …