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.
Recommended Citation
Dean, Anna Grant, "Dust and Shadow" (2020). Graduate Theses. 124.
https://digitalcommons.winthrop.edu/graduatetheses/124
