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The Evolution of Symbols Generated In a Body of Work
In order to discover more about the nature of my work, I conducted an investigation of the evolution of symbols generated in a body of work. For the purpose of this study the term symbol was defined as something that represents the term symbol was defined as something that represents another entity by association, resemblance, or convention, specifically, a material object or image used to represent an idea.
Six Works-- A Discussion of Subject Matter in My Work
Three intaglio prints and three drawings will be investigated to answer three specific questions. The questions are: 1. Is it possible to isolate the source of subject matter in my work? 2. What effect do media and subject matter have on each other during image development? and 3. Does my subject matter contained in an entire work contribute to the subject matter of my later works?
The Interpretation of Facial Expressions by Drawings: Problem 1
This study deals with an analysis of facial characteristics and expressions and their interpretation through drawings. Through the past several years of teaching in a Dallas school where so many nationalities are represented and where the various peoples of the lowest privileged groups are segregated, the writer has become deeply interested in what is to be seen in the faces of children. The second problem of the study features an analysis of facial characteristics and expressions and their interpretation through drawings, modeling in clay, and papier mache.
An Illustrative Documentation of Afro-American Vernacular Dancers From the 1900's to 1945
It was impossible to document all of the important dancers of the era; however, certain individuals were notably exceptional. The purpose of this study was to document and illustrate some of those dancers who impacted and influenced the development of American vernacular dance during the early twentieth century through the mid-1940's. The individuals chosen were as follows: Dewey "Pigmeat" Markham, John Bubbles, Bill Robinson, Earl "Snakeships" Tucker, James Walker and Charles Green (Chuck and Chuckles), Katherine Dunham, Honi Coles and Cholly Akins (Coles and Akins) Josephine Baker, The Derry Brothers (Ananias, Jimmy and Warren), Eddie Rector, Willa Mae Ricker and Leon James. Emphasis was concentrated on capturing an accurate likeness of the individuals as well as on establishing a specific mood. Since all of the above-mentioned individuals were dancers, a special effort was made to recreate the lighting and aura of the stage.
Between Seeing and Knowing
I intended to create a body of work using a variety of media and a combination of imagery that is both subjective and objective in regards to representation. I incorporated into the work, words and phrases which are not related to the imagery. This has allowed the work to be variously interpreted. I wanted certain elements of the work to appear simultaneously very old and very new.
The Microcomputer as a Tool for Pattern Generation in Fabric Design
After practicing Interior Design professionally for ten years and concurrently watching the rapid expansion of the use of computers in the business world, the problem of incorporating the use of computers into the field of interior design became increasingly important to me. Many designers seem to be rather leery of "the computer" and they are reluctant to accept it as a valuable tool in their design process. One aspect of applying the use of the computer to the interior design field is in the area of pattern generation for fabrics and wallcoverings. It is this area that will be explored in the following project.
Revolutionary Traditionalism
My intent in this creative project has been to further explore the transcendence of reality in my work in seven still lifes. The body of work done for this problem was reviewed and analyzed after completion rather than during the process.
An Investigation of Mexican Gravesites in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico and Laredo, Texas
My work already shared some of the characteristics of the gravesites that I proposed to study. They were similar in that they both attempted to integrate sacred and profane imagery. Both called attention to personal events and related these events to a larger scheme. Finally, both were involved with the creation of objects of veneration according to personal edicts, but in relation to already established mythologies. I proposed to create a body of work based on the information gathered from the investigation of three predominantly Mexican graveyards-- one in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, and two outside of Laredo, Texas.
Non-Heat Joining of Metals
The concern in this project was the utilization of metal joining processes which used no heat in the construction of sculpture. The problem area was motivated by an attempt to avoid some of the inherent problems and limitations incurred when welding, brazing soldering are employed. Specifically, the following questions were considered: 1) Can the non-heat joining process be utilized as a design element? 2) Does non-heat joining allow the use of lighter (30-16) gauge metal? 3) Are distortion and bracing problems reduced by use of non-heat joining processes? 4) Can more diverse metals such as aluminum, copper, brass and bronze be utilized in these processes? 5) Do these non-heat processes make allowances for manipulation of the metal prior to the construction of the sculpture?
Images as Metaphors for Desire
To determine the effectiveness of the combinations of images as metaphors for desire I asked the following questions during the course of my exploration: 1. On what basis were the objects chosen? 2. What are the relationships between and among the images in the paintings? 3. How do these relationships constitute a metaphor for desire? 4. What visual devices influence the relationships between the images?
The Amalgamation of Three-Dimensional and Two-Dimensional Processes
Although drawing had offered me many avenues for image exploration and mark making, it lacked the actual physical relief surface that was a natural part of the printmaking plate process (i.e., intaglio plates or relief surfaces). Sculpture allowed the images and marks to be realized dimensionally in the round; therefore, the images became objects.
Order and Disorder in my Sculpture and Painting
For this project, I explored the relationship of order and disorder within ten pieces of mixed media works. For the purpose of this paper, "order" is defined as the unity of all parts and details of a whole, standing in their proper relationship, each playing its own role without interfering with the functions of any other part. "Disorder is a force or combination of forces that unsettles or disarranges.
Printmaking Experimentations: A Personal Approach
Experimentations with overlays of color within my imagery have developed an interest in surface embellishment resulting from the juxtaposition of overlapping hues, integration of collage, and extended use of mixed-media as a printed visual statement. Past printmaking experiences include exploration of a variety of procedures including lithography, intaglio, and serigraphy. Prints have been executed in edition and monoprints, singular techniques and in combination. Individual techniques were expanded through the use of collage and linear application of graphite.
The Artbook: A Synthesis of Literary and Visual Imagery
In order to more fully explore this problem and to uncover important aspects of my work and work processes, I posed these questions to be answered after the completion of the five books: 1. In what ways am I able to synthesize the traditional concerns of the literary and visual image into an Artbook format? 2. To what extent am I able to develop this synthesis into an aesthetically valid and personally satisfying expression of my own artistic philosophy? 3. In what ways does this development represent and/or reflect what appears to be another major shift in my art, toward a more conceptual, two-dimensional or cognitive expression? 4. What does this attempt and the resultant image symbolize for me?
The Role of Implied Texture in Figural Imagery
This study explored how implied texture was used to give meaning to figural imagery. Several questions were answered in proceeding with the creative project: 1. Did implied texture abstract the figurative image? If so, how was content affected? 2. Did implied texture act as an obstruction to content? 3. Did implied texture act as an integral part of content? 4. Did implied texture exist as a separate entity from content?
Establishing a Nexus of Form and Content in Creating Mysterious Narrative Predicated on Duality and Transformation
The original proposal was altered for the sake of clarity. In contrast, the new introduction offers a stronger and tighter definition of intent without changing the concept of my concerns. Working through the beginning stages of analysis I began to understand the significance of asking specific questions as a means of focusing my intent. I proposed to continue to explore the evolution of imagery in my work through the creation of seven to ten "pieces." I remained open to and involved with the uses of painting, drawing, photography, installation and combinations thereof.
A Study of the Decision-Making Process During the Creative Act
The purpose of this thesis project was to explore my decision-making process as it took place during the act of painting. I was interested in how my paintings evolved, either naturally or through a critical stage. Resolving a work which was in a crisis between success and failure was an important part of the creative process and required definite purposive action on my part. In this connection, I explored the nature of the decisions which either redirected my work toward a successful conclusion, or toward its abandonment.
A Survey of Passementerie With Instructions For Weaving Ribbons
The purpose of this investigation has been to review the various forms of passementerie in order to provide a background for weaving narrow bands and ribbons. While the basic fabric structures, plain weave, twill, and satin are used in the production of ribbons, some problems occur in adapting them to the narrow form.
Encounters: Traditional Oriental Theme Paintings with Western Influences
My proposal involved gathering and analyzing both visual and written information. The following steps were specifically considered: 1. Exhibition catalogues and related information on Robert Rauschenberg and Zao Wou-Ki were reviewed. Those artists deal with cross-cultural ideas in their work. 2. A sketchbook and an artistic journal were kept, as well as a record of my creative processes. 3. A body of work was done in a consistent matter. I employed a spontaneous/intuitive strategy in my creative activity. I kept myself flexible in order to approach the idea in a loose manner by simultaneously making several paintings with the same content.
Strength of Fragility and its Relationship to My Sculpture
For this project, I explored traditions and relationships of materials both past and present: oriental kites and their linear structures and materials (fragile yet able to fly the strongest winds), Japanese washi (materials and hand processes), Eskimo gut work (sails and parkas). My interest has been in pushing these relationships further and exploring three-dimensional space with my linear panels.
Small Embellished Paintings
Throughout history man has decorated paintings and art objects with materials as diverse as shells, seeds, beans, horns, seedpods, hair, feathers, ostrich eggs, coral and nuts. I proposed to explore the potential of using such materials to embellish framing devices for small paintings. Any material could be included in this exploration. The embellished frames have become a part of the total painting and are not removable. The solution included not only the practical, physical aspects of presentation, but also dealt with the purely visual aesthetic ones as well.
The Mutation of a Fiddler Crab
For a year I have tried to be as far away from painting (painting in a strict sense, i.e., two-dimensional, canvas, glazes, washes, etc., as possible. I successfully built a quality body of work that was formally sound and conceptually sophisticated, far surpassing my original "fiddler crab period." Now, having grown my other claw I wanted to approach painting in a comparative relation to my other body of work. Specifically, I wanted to show the valuable visual possibilities ready to be investigated in my paintings. For this reason I did not want to completely abandon painting, nor did I consider halting production of my three-dimensional pieces.
Selected Objects and Their Effectiveness as Fired Decorative Additions
It was the intention of this project to test selected objects to determine which ones could be used for decoration. If an object became a stable, aesthetically pleasing, part of the glazed piece, then it was considered successful. Two firing temperatures are important to my work; they are 1796 degrees Fahrenheit, oxidation (which is cone 06), and 2372 degrees Fahrenheit, reduction (which is cone 10). I expected some of these objects I chose to work better at the lower temperature, and some to work better at the higher temperature. All objects were test-fired on small plate-tiles at both temperatures. After testing, I decided which items were successful as decorative additions. With these successful objects, I was concerned about what methods of attachment were possible and what surfaces were appropriate.
A Problem of Embarrassing Red Pimpled Bang Caps, Among Others
At the time of writing the proposal, one part of me wanted to move ahead and explore the new territory, while another part wanted to understand what I was leaving behind. I proposed to examine the following questions in order to resolve this dilemma: 1. What common personal themes or ideas are behind my work? How can I clarify and refine these themes to make them more manifest in my work? 2. Do I need to investigate new materials in order to express and explore my concerns? 3. Can I form a relation between my use of imagery and materials? Could new materials or objects replace this imagery? 4. Are new formal strategies needed that would link the use of my materials, objects, and imagery?
A View of the Sensually Suggestive Feminine Imagery in My Work
In the past few years it has come to my attention, via comments and overt responses, that sensual suggestiveness is present in the imagery of my work. My interest in the female figure goes back to the initial years of my undergraduate work and the anatomical study of the female image. I have since found that adding certain types of feminine attire to specific and idealized female attributes has, in turn, increased the sensual, rather Pavlovian responses of the spectator. This is accomplished by creating commonplace images such as the stockinged leg, the slit-skirted waist and thigh, and the female foot in a high-heeled shoe. My problem was to investigate the fetishism and iconography of selected popular cultural images of the feminine-sensual type in order to discover how i could make my images more sensually suggestive.
The Use of Horizontal, Vertical, and Contour Lamination to the Sculptural Form
The purpose of this problem was to investigate the advantages and possible limitations of horizontal, vertical, and contour laminating to the sculptural form. Specific questions were set forth to help determine the different aspects of these types of lamination. The specific questions for which answers were sought are as follow. 1. How complex a design can be executed by the laminating process? 2. How close to the design will the initial lamination be? 3. What are the best methods of lamination for each process: types of clamps, types of wood, types of glue, dowels and weights? 4. How successful may these lamination techniques be combined? 5. As the work was in progress, which became more important-- the surface quality or the form? 6. Will laminated forms remain stable?
An Analysis of Verticality and Architectural Reference in the Presentation of Figurative Sculpture
The purpose of this study was to analyze the physical issues of verticality and architectural reference in the presentation of my figurative sculpture and to determine how these issues affect me as viewer. In this analysis, the term architectural reference refers to the fundamental structural elements historically associated with architecture, such as column, pylon, pilaster, pyramid, elevated platform, and bilateral symmetry. The term does not address broader architectural concepts such as spatial organization, circulation, or shelter.
Utiliizing Low-Life Base Glazes with Added Organic Materials as a Form of Ceramic
The objective of my creative project was to decorate vertical and horizontal shapes using low-fire glazes with added organic materials. I experimented with the materials as introduced into the glaze formula, applied to the forms, and fired at low temperatures to obtain useful decoration for the ceramic medium.
The Creation of New Metaphors Out of Symbols From the Past
In order to become more aware of valuable characteristics that may be unique to the paintings and/or the books, I proposed to execute a body of work consisting of four sets, each set containing one painting and one book. I continued using religious icons as subject matter and the motif of the layered pentimento of the fresco as a metaphor for self-investigation.
Mixed-Media Installation Concerns
As I proceeded with my work within this format, I encountered some concerns that dealt with value judgement involving the presentation of an effective installation of this type. The challenge for me was to form a union between the images in my mind and the combination of materials that I chose to use. I wanted the viewer to be conscious of the entire space, as one experience made up of numerous elements.
Imagery Contexts: The Effect on Painting Format
As a result of my interests I became concerned with 1. The invention of eccentric imagery for use in painting formats. These images were intended to subtly allude to archaic and archetypal objects of forms (artifact reference) yet remain anonymous in terms of absolute identity. 2. Random and ambiguous placement of the imagery on a surface resulting in a mapping or diagramming of a possible 'place,' with a broadly interpreted landscape orientation to space. 3. Paintings having the characteristics of the objects in terms of materials and processes used, surface tactile qualities, irregular shape. These three ideas formed the basis of the problem.
A Creative Investigation of Sprays in Drying Oil Paint
The reason for this paper is to present a study of several commercial clear sprays used to affect drying of artists' oil paint. A number of tests were conducted in order to discover which spray might achieve optimum drying without inhibiting creative efforts. After the initial experiments, or "test panels," the information derived was used to complete the remaining panels required for the creative project.
Adding and Subtracting Color in the Painting and Serigraphic Processes: A Development of Consistency in Two Art Media
This is a method in which designs as a whole are not pre-planned or pre-arranged, but are developed by applying layers of color. This is an additive method for obvious reasons, and it is subtractive because shapes can be covered with opaque paint or very intense stain. Transparent layers of color applied over existing colors cause hue changes, and the process creates subtleties resulting from one color showing through another.
The Production of Large Scale Ceramic Pieces and its Affect on the Working Methods of the Artist
This problem concerns the production of large scale ceramic sculpture and its affect on the working method of the artist. Traditionally, western ceramics deals with functional pieces of a personal scale, that is smaller ceramic works which serve specific utilitarian purposes. The concepts of clay as an art medium and the studio-potter have developed over only the last 125 years of western ceramic history.
The Effect of Different Paper Surfaces on the Development of Finished Collages
The problem of this study will be to provide information on the degree of influence exerted by the choice of ground in the selection of collage elements and the final development of each collage.
Perceptual Responses to Changes in Scale Within a Given Body of Work
The purpose of this investigation, therefore, was to compare the viewer's perceptual response to the small-scale constructions with that of the large-scale ones. Specific questions of concern were: 1. What is my response as a viewer to these constructions when built as maquettes, with regard to the following specific concerns? a. Formal visual elements (i.e., line, shape, value, etc.). b. The presence of a sense of threat. c. Visual reference to a theatrical set. d. A make-believe, or childlike quality. e. Any physical or technical problems encountered. 2. What is my response as a viewer to the constructions when built on a large, or approximately life-sized scale, with regard to the same specific concerns listed above?
Image Discovery: Intaglio Process
At the beginning of my graduate study, a series of clown images was executed. The entire surface was utilized in a rapid and spontaneous manner in the first few drawings. The clown images became more complex and visually perplexing. Yet, through an attentive study of these images, I felt a need to be more direct, expressive, and selective in approach and method. It seemed that, consciously or unconsciously, the process of drawing an image important to me was an attendant characteristic to the actualization of the image. The personal promise in these conceptualized and drawn forms was of major concern to me. My proposal, therefore, was to investigate the existing motivations behind these images, to explore the meaning and significance of the sum total of my work.
An Investigation of the Relationship Between Form and Function in Ceramic Dinnerware
The problem I proposed to explore involved the evaluative process of finished dinnerware. For the problem I made three sets of dinnerware in three different patterns. Based on this work I asked the following three questions. 1. How do the different forms within each series visually relate to one another? 2. What qualities make this work visually successful? 3. What qualities enable these pieces to function well?
Warp-Faced Weaving on an Architectural Scale
The impetus for this project emerged in an effort to move beyond small scaled weavings executed in neutral hues to larger pieces with more color. All of my previous work had been technically oriented, lacking in direction, and limited to neutral hues which blended well together and were readily available. I determined that the project would involve answering two basic questions: (1) could i successfully push these panels to large scale, and (2) could several of these large panels be manipulated to create an interchangeable piece that would work visually in more than one arrangements.
Industrial Materials and Fiber Techniques in Environmental Sculpture
There are three recurrent themes in my work: 1) environmental installations utilizing ecologically unsound materials 2) incorporating air space with plastics 3) conceptual inspiration derived from dreams. I proposed to address these three themes by employing materials traditionally used for industrial applications (as in plumbing supplies and dry-cleaning bags) as fine arts media using fiber related techniques in environmental sculptural pieces.
The Self Portrait: Intimacy and the Effects of Scale
I perceived humans as a certain size, approximately five feet to six feet tall. This reality compelled me to do full length, life size, and larger portraits of my body again overlaid with the lizard's body. The study involved an investigation of self portraits and the effects scale had on their intimacy.
An Investigation of the Influences on my Art Caused by Living in Saudi Arabia
This project was an investigation into the specific influences upon my art produced by my living in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for two years from August 1976 through August 1978. Initially, I had to make a major psychological and environmental adjustment. This period of adjustment, referred to as culture shock, was a time of personal confusion about the differences between the American and the Arabian cultures. I characterized my state of mind during this period as a psychological numbness and confusion. This adjustment period altered my interests so that the drawings I had done before I left the United States no longer held their original significance and new interests began to appear. I hope to identify some of the changes that occurred by examining and comparing my earlier drawings with those completed since my return.
Anxiety
In summary my main three objectives are as follows: 1. To create large black and white photographic murals of isolated facial expressions with written phrases beneath each image. 2. To explore my capability to magnify and reinforce a strong emotional feeling through the large images. 3. To discover if the written phrases strengthen and support the photographic image.
An Investigation Into the Relationship Between Media and Content
The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between media and content in my work. I began a series of paintings in the fall of 1985 which was based on 35mm transparencies. At this point, the slides were nothing more than a visual aid, a way to augment my technical skills; my chief interest in these paintings was narrative. I was also taking a drawing class at the time, and several times I recycled a transparency I had used with a painting to create a drawing. Sometimes Both versions were relatively successful (though often for very different reasons), other times one version would be more successful than the other. Technical proficiency (or lack of it) did not seem to be the determining factor in these cases.
An Investigation of the Effects of Color and Line on Sculptural Forms
The purpose for this study was to investigate the effect of painting and drawing when used as an integral part of sculptural form. The following questions are addressed in this study: 1. Does color increase or decrease the three-dimensionality of a form? 2. When used, is color an integral part of the sculptural form or a superficial decoration? 3. Can drawn line (on the sculpture's surface) be used to flatten or deny the sculptural form? 4. Can drawn line be useful in describing or enhancing sculptural forms?
An Investigation of the Visual Potentials of Combining Plastic Materials with Paper or Fabric or Both
In this creative project, I chose to explore the visual potentials of combining plastic materials with paper or fabric or both in such a way as to produce both visually strong and personally meaningful works. During the completion of the ten pieces, a written journal was kept in order to maintain a record of the progress and outcome of this investigation. In addition, data was illustrated by photographic slides. One piece was photographed at various stages of development, and all of the pieces were photographed at completion. The following analysis of the finished work was made from this information.
Layering as a Possible Method of Achieving a Visual Color Mix in Weaving
The problem, as proposed for this project, focused on an investigation of the possibility of using a layering method in weaving to effect a visual color mix. Colored layers of transparent fabric were to be woven simultaneously, in such a way as to retain a structural separateness while producing a perceptual blending of color. A minimum of three weavings were to be made with yarns dyed to control hue, value, and intensity, and each varying in number of layers from two to four. Technical sketches in the form of maquettes were to precede work on the loom, and throughout the process a journal was to be kept to record pertinent data and guide analysis and evaluation.
An Investigation of the Evolution of Three-Dimensional Mixed-Media Forms From Two-Dimensional Mixed-Media Surfaces
This document is an attempt to objectify the subjective. The purpose of the investigation was to determine how a previous mode of expression, namely, two dimensional mixed media, could evolve toward an expressive mode which incorporated the making of three dimensional works. The main concern was to determine how the two dimensional statement gave way to one which was three dimensional, or what constituted the three dimensionality of the work.
Exploration of Devices to Intensify the Disruption in Perception in my Painting
The purpose of the creative project was an attempt to intensify the perceptual disruption while simultaneously continuing my exploration of the expressive power of certain images and symbols. These ideas were explored in a new series of paintings.
Spontaneous Installations of Flexible Combinations of Woven Modular Forms
The purpose of this project was to investigate the possibilities of reorganizing space by arranging woven modules. These units were to be separable and flexible in regard to their spacial relationships and interrelatedness in any installation. This problem was examined in these specific ways: 1) Is it possible to create a sense of volume in forms woven flat on a standard floor loom as simple, single-layer or double-layer fabrics and later manipulate them into three-dimensional structures? 2) how can fundamentally simple, fibrous materials be utilized to achieve an effect of scale without overpowering their intrinsic qualities? 3) To what extent, if any, will lighting interact with woven fabric to create the illusion of an extended space? 4) can woven modules be created with enough flexibility of form to be responsive to varying relationships to each other and to specific installation spaces?
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