"Nips of Clairvoyance" by Samantha Valdez

Date of Award

5-4-2017

Document Type

Thesis

College

College of Visual and Performing Arts

Degree Program

Fine Arts

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Thesis Advisor

Shaun Cassidy

Committee Member

Tom Stanley

Committee Member

Karen Stock

Abstract

My thesis statement describes the fundamental elements of inspiration, along with the artistic references for my thesis body of work. It revisits memories, and explores the symbolic significance of bodily action, form, material and composition, as a means to expose the relationship between object and memory. The thesis exhibition, Nips of Clairvoyance, consists of an installation of a triptych of videos of performances that depict the complexity and pain of an abusive relationship. Adjacent to the videos are three sculptures that consist, of glass cylinders filled with personal objects embedded inside and placed on top of slabs of soap. While confronting capitalism’s view on women’s domestic labor as having no value, leading to violence against women, I tell my own story of domestic abuse. In the work, I explore pre-Colombian rituals, and the use of the body, connecting my work to a legacy of female artists who have explored performance art.

Share

COinS