Date of Award

Summer 8-16-2015

Level of Access Assigned by Author

Campus-Only Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Fine Arts (MFA)

Department

Intermedia

Advisor

Susan Bickford

Second Committee Member

Amy Stacey Curtis

Third Committee Member

Owen Smith

Abstract

“An abstract of the thesis statement: why would a girl who lives in a glass house, throw stones?”

I am exploring circumstance through environmental design and experimental art installation work. "Circumstance," being that which is decided for us. Though this theme could be perceived as dark, I am trying to present it in a playful light. My work is meant to be an exaggerated version of the way things appear in my mind. I try to materialize objects with the approach of how they make me feel. I am dealing with this using perception, size, and distortion.

Girl in the Glass House is a personal exploration of my family relationships through the objectification of old glass windows. I am taking the saying/riddle “you shouldn't throw stones, if you live in a glass house” literally by dissecting the meaning, building a glass house as an art installation and then moving into that installation for a day as a documented performance piece, while placing stones both inside and outside of the glass house installation, then asking the question, should the stones be thrown – in relation to my current emotional conflict with my family.

I am researching installation artists that pursue similar subjects with their work and artists that specialize in interactivity. I am analyzing why this question and why these objects have a significance to me. I am breaking down all components of the wording and the underlying meanings. My construction will be determined by mediocre meanings of materials and the symbolism that are culturally attached to them. Theoretically, everything will be scrutinized and over-thought, just like I am scrutinizing and over-thinking what to do about my family relations. This project is a personal piece, meant for me to resolve emotional events that are currently overwhelming to me. This is the way that I am working through my personal issues.

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