Date of Award

Fall 12-2020

Document Type

Thesis

College

College of Visual and Performing Arts

Degree Program

Fine Arts

Degree Name

Master of Fine Arts

Thesis Advisor

Shaun Cassidy

Committee Member

Claudia O'Steen

Committee Member

Karen Stock

Keywords

Entropy, Chaos, Order, Simulacra, Sculpture, Installation

Abstract

Dust and Shadow is an investigation into systems of order and chaos that exist within the natural and manmade worlds. Human constructs (such as grids) and manmade systems (such as social media) abide in a space that is tangential to the structures and systems that choreograph the functions of the natural world. Exploring how these two very different worlds weave in and out of human existence allows me to examine my relationship to the complex facets of this twenty-first century experience.

My research into chaos and entropy serves as a catalyst for this body of work. Examining the parallels between breakdowns at the macrocosmic level, the microcosmic level, and those within contemporary society has provided insight into the interconnectedness of the universe and my own place within it. As Horace once said, “We are but dust and shadow.”

My studio process relies upon unexpected intersections and collisions discovered through the layering of visual and tactile information. I combine elements that I can control with those that cannot be controlled - this allows for a push and pull between the artist and the art itself. Projecting digital video onto sculptural installations provides shifting perspectives and new discoveries which transition through space and time. The work is not complete until the viewer travels through space and their shadow becomes another layer in the strata of information. The time-based nature of the work, combined with the shifting sculptural components, allows me to consider the ephemeral nature of human existence within the ever expanding perpetuity of the universe.

Included in

Sculpture Commons

COinS