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Articles 1 - 30 of 84
Full-Text Articles in Fine Arts
Integrating The Oriental Gaze: Japonisme And Kitagawa Utamaro’S Influence In The Parisian Art World Of The Late 19th Century, Wanda Irini Goudas
Integrating The Oriental Gaze: Japonisme And Kitagawa Utamaro’S Influence In The Parisian Art World Of The Late 19th Century, Wanda Irini Goudas
MA Theses
This thesis discusses the phenomenon of Japonisme in Paris, how it manifested in the market, its accompanying theoretical discourse, and its role in fostering artistic innovation. In 1853, Japan officially opened its borders for trade with the West, resulting in an unparalleled influx of objects and artwork from Japan. This generated a widespread fascination with Japanese material culture, culminating in the phenomenon known as Japonisme. Among the imported items, ukiyo-e woodblock prints or ‘images of the floating world,’ became very significant. Exhibited widely across Paris, their peculiar themes and unique formal qualities prompted theoretical discourse and inspired shifts in artistic …
Constructing Minimalism: Canon Formation, Exclusion, And The Afterlives Of An Aesthetic, Lucy Ewert
Constructing Minimalism: Canon Formation, Exclusion, And The Afterlives Of An Aesthetic, Lucy Ewert
MA Theses
Academics, critics, curators, and artists alike have perpetually struggled to agree on a coherent definition of Minimalism since its inception. Who is included in the historical canon, what its defining characteristics are, and the movement's legacy have long since been contested. This thesis will explore the origins of Minimalism, tracing its emergence from movements such as Abstract Expressionism, and discuss the early values that shaped its perception through a handful of fundamental voices. The study will also survey three of Minimalism’s modernist predecessors, questioning the extent of influence these movements may have had. Understanding the origins of Minimalism will set …
The Spiritual And Emotional Impact Of Color In Luis Barragán’S Convento De Las Capuchinas Sacramentarias, Ivana Martin
The Spiritual And Emotional Impact Of Color In Luis Barragán’S Convento De Las Capuchinas Sacramentarias, Ivana Martin
MA Theses
This thesis examines how Luis Barragán’s Convento de las Capuchinas Sacramentarias (1955) is a medium for spiritual experience. In his work, Barragán explores the use of color, light, and emotion as central elements and the ways in which they transform sacred space into an embodied, contemplative experience. There is also a comparison to other churches and other similar projects that were done during the same time period, specifically in Mexico. Modernist architecture in mid-century Mexico was largely defined by rationalist and more functional ideals, but Barragán separated himself from these tendencies to create an architecture that privileges silence, intimacy, and …
A Visual Analysis Of The Work Of Anna Weyant For Art Historical Precedent, Jordan Arnold
A Visual Analysis Of The Work Of Anna Weyant For Art Historical Precedent, Jordan Arnold
MA Theses
This paper examines the rapid ascent and artistic evolution of Anna Weyant, whose blend of technical rigor, stylized figuration, and sly narrative tension has positioned her as a leading name in contemporary figurative painting. While her market visibility and high-profile representation have often overshadowed critical engagement with her work, a close analysis reveals a steadily developing practice grounded in a set of consistent formal concerns: controlled light and shadow, psychologically charged compositions, and a sustained dialogue with art-historical precedents. By situating Weyant’s paintings in relation to the psychological realism of the Dutch Golden Age, the uncanny and erotic undercurrents of …
Becoming Art Itself: A Study On The Generative Logic And Discursive Structure Of Disability Art Incubation Institutions, Gonghui Lu
MA Theses
This study employs “Becoming” as its core analytical concept to examine how disability art incubation institutions operate at the intersection of contemporary art history and social systems as mechanisms that continuously generate both art and subjectivity. Building on Deleuze’s philosophy of becoming and Guattari’s notion of the rhizome, the study constructs a generative model linking art, institutions, and discourse. Through comparative analysis of international cases, it discusses the shift in disability art from a representational logic to a generative logic, and the dynamic oscillation between deterritorialization and reterritorialization within institutional practices. The study argues that disability art should not be …
Beyond Recognition: The Surrealist Strategy Of Face Concealment In The Portraits Of René Magritte And Ewa Juszkiewicz, Darina Kravchenko Eldridge
Beyond Recognition: The Surrealist Strategy Of Face Concealment In The Portraits Of René Magritte And Ewa Juszkiewicz, Darina Kravchenko Eldridge
MA Theses
This dissertation investigates the evolution of the Surrealist strategy of face concealment from a modernist device of perceptual estrangement into a contemporary tool of feminist and postcolonial critique within portraiture. By obscuring the most recognisable marker of identity, it evokes a complex and unsettling emotional response in the viewer, transforming the act of looking at another person into an encounter with absence. The study situates this transformation within broader aesthetic and ideological discourses, drawing on feminist art history as articulated by Linda Nochlin and Griselda Pollock, alongside John Berger’s Ways of Seeing, Jacques Derrida’s hauntology, the Zeigarnik effect and Guy …
When Fine Art And Commercial Art Merge: A Playbook For Emerging Artists Without Gallery Representation To Create Successful And Sustainable Careers, Regina Escobedo Guerra
When Fine Art And Commercial Art Merge: A Playbook For Emerging Artists Without Gallery Representation To Create Successful And Sustainable Careers, Regina Escobedo Guerra
MA Theses
Pursuing a career as an artist comes with no clear path nor directions. The first years after graduating are filled with confusion and uncertainty. Emerging artists are oftentimes unequipped with the necessary resources to create sustainable and profitable careers. In a saturated market where only a select few are able to make a living solely from art, artists need to gain autonomy and control over their practices. This thesis provides emerging artists with no gallery representation with the tools to create an independent career that prioritizes artistic authenticity and sustains profit. Through a dismissal of the negative perceptions placed on …
Marc Chagall And The Jewish Experience: A Personal Modernism In The Parisian Avant-Garde, Samantha Desanctis
Marc Chagall And The Jewish Experience: A Personal Modernism In The Parisian Avant-Garde, Samantha Desanctis
MA Theses
Marc Chagall and the Jewish Experience: A Personal Modernism in the Parisian Avant-Garde examines the interplay between Marc Chagall’s Jewish heritage and his engagement with the Parisian avant-garde of the early twentieth century. Chagall’s upbringing in the Russian Empire deeply informed his visual language, which persisted even as he explored the techniques and innovations of modernist movements. This thesis analyzes Chagall’s early works alongside close readings of key paintings such as I and the Village, 1911, Homage to Apollinaire, 1911–12, Self-Portrait with Seven Fingers, 1912–13, and Green Violinist, 1923–24, considering symbols, colors, compositions, and recurring motifs drawn from religion, tradition, …
Can A Curator Influence Their Nation’S Art Market Value? Adriano Pedrosa, The 60th Venice Biennale, And The Global Repositioning Of Brazilian Art, Maria Joana Ventosa
Can A Curator Influence Their Nation’S Art Market Value? Adriano Pedrosa, The 60th Venice Biennale, And The Global Repositioning Of Brazilian Art, Maria Joana Ventosa
MA Theses
The 60th Venice Biennale (2024), curated by Brazilian curator Adriano Pedrosa, the first Latin American curator, and the first curator based in the Global South to lead the Venice Biennale, revived long-standing debates concerning visibility and marginalization, who controls canon formation and, in a market where visibility directly affects value, the power of dictating the market. The curator furthered this discussion by curating a show literally titled “Strangers Everywhere”, focused on representations by artists who identify as “othered”, through, for example colonisation and erasure of native cultures, immigration or queerness. This thesis examines the evolving role of biennials as platforms …
The Language Of Value: Lot Note Complexity And Auction Performance In Abstract Expressionism, Artur Sharifullin
The Language Of Value: Lot Note Complexity And Auction Performance In Abstract Expressionism, Artur Sharifullin
MA Theses
This thesis asks a simple question: does the language in lot notes relate to price and to whether a lot beats or misses its estimate? I study eight Abstract Expressionist artists: Ad Reinhardt, Adolph Gottlieb, Barnett Newman, Franz Kline, Joan Mitchell, Lee Krasner, Robert Motherwell, and Sam Francis because their works are less representational and often need supporting text to explain the context. The main sample includes only lots sold for more than $1 million at Christie’s or Sotheby’s in New York or London over the past ten years. I measure a small set of writing features that are easy …
Reconstructing The Surreal: Female Artists And The Transformation Of Surrealist Aesthetics, Erin Regan
Reconstructing The Surreal: Female Artists And The Transformation Of Surrealist Aesthetics, Erin Regan
MA Theses
This thesis examines the role and legacy of female artists who took part in the Surrealist visual art movement of the early 20th century. Canonical accounts have historically privileged the contributions of male artists, marginalizing women to the fringes of the movement by framing female artists as being primarily relevant as muses for their male peers. This study contests this historiographical misconception, relying upon visual analysis and archival research, as well as drawing from psychological, feminist, and postmodern theory, ultimately arguing that their artistic and theoretical innovations fundamentally restructured Surrealism’s visual vocabulary, theoretical objectives, and cultural legacy. This thesis is …
The Collapse Of The New Tendencies: How Did A Movement That Never Existed Cease To Exist, Tonka Protega
The Collapse Of The New Tendencies: How Did A Movement That Never Existed Cease To Exist, Tonka Protega
MA Theses
This thesis examines the short lifespan of the New Tendencies. Although the New Tendencies have gained renewed recognition over the last couple of years, there is still limited research on their final phase. To address this topic, I analyzed the narrative history of the New Tendencies , alongside the essays published in the exhibition catalogues. Additionally, I considered the historical and political situation in Croatia during this period, which influenced the manifestations. Ultimately, this thesis argues for the non-existence of the New Tendencies as a movement in the history of art and identifies the key reasons that led to its …
The Flavor Of Marketing: How Food Is Revolutionizing Luxury Brand Communication, Aloisa Ruf
The Flavor Of Marketing: How Food Is Revolutionizing Luxury Brand Communication, Aloisa Ruf
MA Theses
This thesis explores how food operates as a cultural, psychological, and strategic instrument within the global luxury industry. Drawing from art history, marketing theory, and sensory studies, it traces how societies across Europe, the Middle East, China, Japan, Russia, and the United States have long used food to express hierarchy, belonging, and emotion—from the banquets of seventeenth-century Versailles to the branded cafes and collaboration of the 2010s and 2020s. Through a comparative and interpretive methodology, the research connects historical visual traditions with contemporary brand strategies, examining case studies such as Gucci Osteria, Louis Vuitton’s Desert Iftar, Dior Café, Loewe’s “Tomato” …
Can Art Function As A Financial Asset Class? Conditions, Risks, And Emerging Solutions, Aurelia Labbé
Can Art Function As A Financial Asset Class? Conditions, Risks, And Emerging Solutions, Aurelia Labbé
MA Theses
The art market has grown significantly over recent decades, supported by rising global demand, record auction results and increasing interest from collectors pursuing financial returns. This evolution has encouraged the development of investment-oriented practices and strengthened the notion that artworks can function as financial assets. This shift takes place in a market shaped by subjectivity, opacity and limited regulatory oversight, where valuation methods, provenance documentation and professional standards remain highly uneven. These conditions make art investment particularly complex and raise essential questions about the factors that support or weaken the legitimacy of art as an asset class. This thesis examines …
Global Art: An Economic Exploration Of The Factors Driving Sensible Gallery Expansion, James Mclennan
Global Art: An Economic Exploration Of The Factors Driving Sensible Gallery Expansion, James Mclennan
MA Theses
The goal of this thesis is to develop a practical and defensible decision tool to guide art gallery expansion. Focusing on four cities – New York, Hong Kong, London, and Doha – the thesis translates heterogeneous considerations into a matrix that scores each of the cities according to eight factors: Market & Demand; Regulation & Tax; Logistics & Shipping; Labor & Immigration; Legal Entity & Finance; Brand, PR & Audience; Competition & Benchmarking; and Risk. Sub-factors are scored and averaged to provide results on how each city scores against each other. The output is a ranked set of city recommendations …
Aura For Sale?: Art Merchandise And The Totalizing Culture Of Reproduction, Lily Paternoster
Aura For Sale?: Art Merchandise And The Totalizing Culture Of Reproduction, Lily Paternoster
MA Theses
The art historical discipline largely excludes art merchandise from critical analysis, relegating it to being a marketing gimmick or gift shop opportunity. This failure to reconcile with the rapidly expanding enterprise for brand collaborations with fine artists has led to an overwhelming and unregulated commercial licensing industry, similar in mystique and ascend to that of the fine art market. Through the case studies of two post-humous artists and two living- Keith Haring, JeanMichel Basquiat, KAWS (Brian Donnelly), and Maurizio Cattelan- I argue that art merchandise exists on a constantly fluctuating scale between democratizing force and commodity. Despite its status on …
Evolving Motives: How Art Collecting Has Changed Across Generations, Giovanni Mazzoleni
Evolving Motives: How Art Collecting Has Changed Across Generations, Giovanni Mazzoleni
MA Theses
This thesis elucidates the changing reasons for collection in recent years and focuses on three generations of collectors: those born before 1950; those born between 1951-1980; and those born after 1981. It commences with a literature review of the initial collecting motivations and challenges, motives based on socio-cultural, economic and technological advancements which foster the importance and reasons for collections. To make this investigation tangible, a quantitative survey was adopted. Forty-five participants, each ranking their levels of agreement from one to five based on an assessment of eight statements based on five motives: economic, normative, uniqueness, hedonic and intellectual. Descriptive …
Does Blue-Chip Art Genuinely Provide Diversification And Risk Mitigation Once Illiquidity, Transaction Frictions, And Survivorship Bias Are Explicitly Incorporated Into Performance Analysis, Or Is The “Safe Haven” Label Fundamentally Misleading?, Radhika Vissanji
MA Theses
Blue-chip art is widely presented as a safe haven and portfolio diversifier, particularly during periods of financial market uncertainty. This perception is reinforced by art price indices and industry reports that emphasise long-term appreciation, relatively low volatility, and weak correlation with traditional financial assets. Despite the growing prominence of these claims in advisory and institutional discourse, there remains limited agreement on whether such properties persist once the structural characteristics of the art market are fully taken into account. This thesis evaluates whether blue-chip art genuinely delivers diversification and risk-mitigation benefits under realistic market conditions. Focusing on three structural factors, illiquidity, …
From Fear To Familiarity: Folkloric Creatures And Cultural Identity In Contemporary Japanese And Filipino Art, Mariel Yulo Asuncion
From Fear To Familiarity: Folkloric Creatures And Cultural Identity In Contemporary Japanese And Filipino Art, Mariel Yulo Asuncion
MA Theses
Mythological and folkloric creatures have evolved beyond their traditional contexts to serve as tools through which contemporary artists reinterpret and express colonial memory, cultural experiences, and social anxieties. Both Japan and the Philippines mobilize their folkloric monsters as forms of commentary on modern conditions; however, they do so in distinct ways shaped by their differing cultural histories and belief systems. This study aims to analyze and compare how Japanese and Filipino contemporary artists reinterpret folkloric creatures within modern contexts. Employing a qualitative, comparative cultural analysis alongside a sociohistorical framework, this research investigates the contemporary reinterpretation of mythological creatures in both …
From Crisis To Construction: Museum And Institutional Maturation In The Uae, Csilla Brigitta Lazar
From Crisis To Construction: Museum And Institutional Maturation In The Uae, Csilla Brigitta Lazar
MA Theses
This thesis examines the growth of museums and art institutions in the UAE against the backdrop of international debates about museum crisis. While many museums in Europe and North America are struggling with funding pressures, audience disconnection, collection issues and institutional reinvention, the UAE presents a different trajectory: one of rapid cultural investment, state ambition, private support and institutional construction. This thesis argues that the UAE does not represent a single alternative museum model, but a layered ecosystem made up of civic-educational, heritage, cultural diplomacy, philanthropic, creative economy and independent experimental models. Although UAE institutions benefit from financial stability, their …
M+, Beyond A Museum?: The Making Of A New Cultural Paradigm In Hong Kong, Grace Law
M+, Beyond A Museum?: The Making Of A New Cultural Paradigm In Hong Kong, Grace Law
MA Theses
This thesis, titled M+, Beyond a Museum? The Making of a New Cultural Paradigm in Hong Kong, is a critical inquiry into whether M+ is a traditional museum or an institution that redefines Hong Kong’s cultural landscape. The study examines the operational and financial challenges encountered by the Museum in the backdrop of its distinguished architecture, meticulous programming, and advanced digital technology. By tracing the Museum’s development through its core exhibitions and international collaborations, this thesis demonstrates how M+ has evolved into a key art institution within the West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD), and elevated its positioning in the cultural …
Representation And Cross-Cultural Mediation Of Contemporary Ink Art In New York’S Primary Art Market: A Case Study Of Fqm Gallery, Mengtian Melody Yang
Representation And Cross-Cultural Mediation Of Contemporary Ink Art In New York’S Primary Art Market: A Case Study Of Fqm Gallery, Mengtian Melody Yang
MA Theses
This study investigates the representation and cross-cultural mediation of contemporary Chinese ink art within New York’s primary art market. Using Fu Qiumeng Fine Art (FQM) as a core case study, the research adopts a qualitative methodological framework that integrates document analysis, visual analysis, and semi-structured field interviews to examine how the gallery operates as a cultural intermediary. It explores how FQM defines and frames “Contemporary Ink Art,” selects and presents artists, and translates the aesthetic and philosophical foundations of this tradition for Western audiences. The findings show that FQM positions ink art not merely as a medium-based practice but as …
The Cultural Adaptation Of Abstract Expressionism In The Middle East, Solmaz Shoukohi
The Cultural Adaptation Of Abstract Expressionism In The Middle East, Solmaz Shoukohi
MA Theses
Abstract Expressionism emerged in post-WWII New York as both an artistic revolution and a tool of cultural diplomacy. This thesis examines how that ostensibly “American” art movement was adapted and transformed in the Middle East from the 1950s through the 1980s. Chapter 1 outlines the rise of Abstract Expressionism amid Cold War politics, highlighting how the style was promoted globally as a symbol of freedom. It discusses the role of U.S. institutions in exporting avant-garde art – famously described by Eva Cockcroft as a “weapon of the Cold War” – through touring exhibitions and covert sponsorship. Chapter 2 then traces …
About Witch Hunt: Feminist And Political Agency In Contemporary Art, Rana Sumerler
About Witch Hunt: Feminist And Political Agency In Contemporary Art, Rana Sumerler
MA Theses
The Witch Hunt exhibition conjures a powerful dialogue between history, identity, and empowerment, bringing together sixteen international artists to channel the spirit of the witch. This show traces a vast genealogy of women—from the 15th century witch hunts to Californian artistic legacies of the 1970s, to the exhibitions opening in 2021, and into present day. The participating artists emerge as symbols of resistance through their creations which transform domesticity, sexuality, and labor into sites of inquiry all while grappling with the intersectional concerns of womanhood. In a moment marked by political upheaval, the exhibition is particularly resonant in its exploration …
An Investigation Into The Scottsdale Art Week: Cultural Focus, Location, And Sustainability In An Already Saturated Environment, Sophia K. Meshel
An Investigation Into The Scottsdale Art Week: Cultural Focus, Location, And Sustainability In An Already Saturated Environment, Sophia K. Meshel
MA Theses
This thesis examines the role of regional art fairs within the wider American art market and examines how these events contribute to the growth of local cultural artistic ecosystems. While firmly established international art fairs often dominate attention within the global market, lesser known regional fairs play an important role in connecting artists, galleries, collectors, and cultural platforms within specific communities. Through analysis of established regional fairs and consideration of factors such as artist selection, audience engagement, institutional partnerships, and economic impact, this study investigates how art fairs can move beyond temporary commercial events to become meaningful cultural platforms. Particular …
Echoes Of A Country In Question: Visualizing And Constructing Lebanese Identity Through Contemporary Artistic Practice At The Venice Biennale, Anoush Manoukian
Echoes Of A Country In Question: Visualizing And Constructing Lebanese Identity Through Contemporary Artistic Practice At The Venice Biennale, Anoush Manoukian
MA Theses
Historically (and presently) riven by sectarianism, struggling with massively degraded infrastructure, and seething with starkly apparent class divisions, Lebanon has long been tied up with bloody postwar politics, paralyzed by innumerable crippling setbacks on its path to recovery. During war, images of conflict have been plastered across media stations, firming the country’s place in the global conversation and imagination; everyone had heard about Lebanon, and people from the art world were attracted to the work being produced in Beirut: a localized body of work that was thematically interesting, formally unique, aesthetically neoconceptual and allegorical in approach. Unresolved conflicts have long …
Uncovering The Keystone: Case Study Of The Ubs Art Collection Gift, Loan And Contemporary Voices Exhibition At Moma In 2005 - Twenty Years Later, Maria Glikman Yamarakov
Uncovering The Keystone: Case Study Of The Ubs Art Collection Gift, Loan And Contemporary Voices Exhibition At Moma In 2005 - Twenty Years Later, Maria Glikman Yamarakov
MA Theses
This research aims to reconstruct foundational history of the Case, based on the publicly available sources. Using the established factual background to test the significance of each of the three major assumptions, referred traditionally as motivation behind the studied Case undertaking. Through critical analysis this Thesis targets to uncover the keystone of this Case and use it as the background to introduce the governance Duty of Stewardship concept in the corporate collection context. Assuming the introduced concept sustains initial analysis, assess its potential value for further strategic development of the corporate collections of the contemporary art.
On Dark Skinned Jesus Of Nazareth: Why Color Matters, Nicholas Berkel
On Dark Skinned Jesus Of Nazareth: Why Color Matters, Nicholas Berkel
MA Theses
This thesis examines the historical, religious, and cultural consequences of portraying Jesus as white within Christian art. Although Western art has overwhelmingly depicted Christ with white skin, archaeological, and contextual evidence supports a dark-skinned Jesus rooted in the ethnogeography of first century Palestine. The persistence of a White Jesus has shaped religious imagination and perception for centuries, reinforcing racial hierarchy and legitimizing systems of white supremacy. Through an interdisciplinary analysis combining biblical studies, Christian iconography, ethnography of ancient Semitic, Greco-Roman, and Egyptian peoples, medieval symbolism, modern mass-produced imagery, and Black thought, this study demonstrates how Jesus’ original complexion was gradually …
From Monasteries To The Market: The Legal And Spiritual Economies Of Himalayan Art In China, Hengshi An
From Monasteries To The Market: The Legal And Spiritual Economies Of Himalayan Art In China, Hengshi An
MA Theses
In recent years, the Himalayan art market in China has shown a remarkable transformation, emerging as one of the most dynamic segments within the broader Asian art economy. While much of the global and domestic art market has stagnated, Tibetan and Himalayan artworks have achieved sustainable growth and high auction price with major collections been published, showing structural strength rather than speculative enthusiasm. This paper examines the drivers behind this phenomenon through a qualitative analysis of auction data, dealer networks, and collector behavior across key hubs in China such as Beijing, Chengdu, Shanghai, and Hong Kong. The findings suggest that …
From It-Girls To Obscurity: What Happened To The Stettheimer Sisters?, Catherine Pierce Higgins
From It-Girls To Obscurity: What Happened To The Stettheimer Sisters?, Catherine Pierce Higgins
MA Theses
This dissertation explores the lives and impact of the three Stettheimer sisters, Florine, Carrie and Ettie, cultural innovators, and major influencers of a distinctive, feministic strand of American modernism in New York between 1914 and 1950. The Stettheimer sisters did not use their privilege to assimilate into society but to create an alternate artistic universe, resisting the male hierarchies of the dominant avant-garde. By controlling a salon, an intellectual and creative social center where artists, writers, and intellectuals such as Marcel Duchamp, Georgia O’Keeffe and Carl Van Vechten held court, they were able to create an environment in which femininity, …