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The American Black Body: Materials,Symbols, and Representations from a Perceived African American
Title
The American Black Body: Materials,Symbols, and Representations from a Perceived African American.
Creator
Santos, Christopher, Raimundi-Ortiz, Wanda, Buyssens, Ryan, Lotz, Theo, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
As a Cape Verdean American, I investigate the idea of what it means to be of the African Diaspora in America. I also consider the experiences of past generations of American black bodies and how their history has molded my world. This series of work began with Mask Drawing 1, an ink drawing inspired by my own interpretation of an African mask. Subjected to colorism, the discrimination of a person based on their skin color, my skin was not enough validation for other people to view me as black...
Show moreAs a Cape Verdean American, I investigate the idea of what it means to be of the African Diaspora in America. I also consider the experiences of past generations of American black bodies and how their history has molded my world. This series of work began with Mask Drawing 1, an ink drawing inspired by my own interpretation of an African mask. Subjected to colorism, the discrimination of a person based on their skin color, my skin was not enough validation for other people to view me as black. On numerous occasions I have had to clarify my identity, nationality and how these things qualify me as black. I was not perceived as black because I did not fit the stereotype society influenced us to believe, that black people all look, walk and talk a certain way. I did not fit because my skin was not dark enough, my hair wasn't the same texture, and my last name was Santos. This led me to question how I present myself versus how other individuals may perceive me. I wanted to create new artifacts that highlighted my experience of blackness in America. Through the abstraction of these artifacts I explore black identities and how they have change society for black people.
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Date Issued
2018
Identifier
CFE0007093, ucf:51946
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007093
Changing the Channel: A Study of Agenda, Immersion and Social Commentary in Art.
Title
Changing the Channel: A Study of Agenda, Immersion and Social Commentary in Art.
Creator
Kalemba, Nicholas, Poindexter, Carla, Lotz, Theo, Kovach, Keith, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
This thesis examines the concepts and ideas that pervade my body of work in painting. These concepts include immersion and scale, interactions in space, harmony and disunity, flat and dimensional space and perhaps most importantly, ambiguity. I intentionally use these formal devices to create immersive environments that appear as a familiar but skewed version of reality. By forcing together disparate languages of visual representation into the theoretical space of a painting, I strive to...
Show moreThis thesis examines the concepts and ideas that pervade my body of work in painting. These concepts include immersion and scale, interactions in space, harmony and disunity, flat and dimensional space and perhaps most importantly, ambiguity. I intentionally use these formal devices to create immersive environments that appear as a familiar but skewed version of reality. By forcing together disparate languages of visual representation into the theoretical space of a painting, I strive to expose some of the humor and decay of our social institutions. In using the format of collage, my paintings have the opportunity to incorporate a wide array of iconography and imagery, while adding commentary through their juxtapositions. This thesis further explores the notion of oversaturation of images in media and how it has resulted in a clashing of imagery in the public space, akin to the format of collage in art-making. By using more easily readable or accessible iconography like cartoons or digital images to draw viewers in to the work on a visceral level, I discuss how the audience becomes witness to something sinister or something in the process of decay. Since I do not fully understand my own position as an artist and consumer of images, painting serves as a way to examine and question my relationship to society and culture as a whole. The artworks are inevitably questions in themselves: Who is to blame? What does it mean to be American? What is my duty as an artist?
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Date Issued
2019
Identifier
CFE0007472, ucf:52664
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007472
Expanding and Shedding the Self: Processing Selfdom Through Painting
Title
Expanding and Shedding the Self: Processing Selfdom Through Painting.
Creator
Lucey, Theresa, Poindexter, Carla, Lotz, Theo, Burrell, Jason, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
The absurd perpetual struggle, although entirely without hope of resolution, is the key to life's meaning, or perhaps, meaninglessness. The artist must work to live and live to work and find their place in an absurd world. Find joy in the questioning act of art making, make no attempt to escape the meaninglessness through pacifism, and face the chaos with awareness. I employ self-portraiture as a means to dig deeply into my experience and response to living. Self-portraiture morphs along with...
Show moreThe absurd perpetual struggle, although entirely without hope of resolution, is the key to life's meaning, or perhaps, meaninglessness. The artist must work to live and live to work and find their place in an absurd world. Find joy in the questioning act of art making, make no attempt to escape the meaninglessness through pacifism, and face the chaos with awareness. I employ self-portraiture as a means to dig deeply into my experience and response to living. Self-portraiture morphs along with my experiences and keeps a record of my thought patterns. My body of work is the harvest of my seeds of reflection. Tying together past influences, existential questioning, and a Sisyphean philosophy to a life of art making, I unravel the inner outcomes of my studio practice. It is in retrospect, through distance, that these connections are fully realized.
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Date Issued
2019
Identifier
CFE0007490, ucf:52657
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007490
The Suburban Nightmare: A Study of Atmosphere, Mood and Emotion
Title
The Suburban Nightmare: A Study of Atmosphere, Mood and Emotion.
Creator
Sobrack, Ericka, Poindexter, Carla, Lotz, Theo, Kovach, Keith, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
In this thesis body of work, I focus on the implied human presence through the lack of actual human figures. I believe there is more to say in a landscape with the absence of the figure, allowing the dialogue to be read and interpreted by a larger audience. I am particularly satisfied with White Knuckles, shown in figure 3, because I collide reason with imagination, thus contradicting the context and interpretation of the subject matter. In White Knuckles, I deal with formal elements such as...
Show moreIn this thesis body of work, I focus on the implied human presence through the lack of actual human figures. I believe there is more to say in a landscape with the absence of the figure, allowing the dialogue to be read and interpreted by a larger audience. I am particularly satisfied with White Knuckles, shown in figure 3, because I collide reason with imagination, thus contradicting the context and interpretation of the subject matter. In White Knuckles, I deal with formal elements such as composition, atmosphere, lightness and darkness as well as nuances of color. I have also considered the emotive impact the painting could reflect to the viewer, specifically feelings of tension and unease. The placement of the viewer outside the picture plane was carefully considered to suggest the audience is a participant in the suggested narrative. I often strive to create an ambiguous moment, reflecting feelings of uncertainty and apprehension. Like White Knuckles, my body of work employs unexpected narratives to reveal some of the uncomfortable truths of our human experience. I am interested in exploring the relationship between the mundane and the abnormal in the paintings, a feeling that could be described as a (")suburban nightmare.(")
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Date Issued
2019
Identifier
CFE0007532, ucf:52587
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007532
Seeing Living Things: Observations of Figures From the Outside In
Title
Seeing Living Things: Observations of Figures From the Outside In.
Creator
Deblois, Forrest, Poindexter, Carla, Lotz, Theo, Harris, Christopher, Watson, Keri, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
This writing accompanies the outcomes of my studio practice over the last three years, focusing on two bodies of work of paintings and drawings. In it I describe and analyze multiple influences tied to the progression and change in my studio practice. I began the process of my work with images and subjects from my home state of Florida, frequently juxtaposing the wildlife and humans, now I see this pattern as a byproduct of a studio practice functioning as a introspective reflection of what I...
Show moreThis writing accompanies the outcomes of my studio practice over the last three years, focusing on two bodies of work of paintings and drawings. In it I describe and analyze multiple influences tied to the progression and change in my studio practice. I began the process of my work with images and subjects from my home state of Florida, frequently juxtaposing the wildlife and humans, now I see this pattern as a byproduct of a studio practice functioning as a introspective reflection of what I experience, the things that I understand and the things that I don't. I deconstruct elements of figures and landscape, removing most information but what is necessary to retain symbolic context, and allow physical windows into the past formal states of the work, exposing the audience to different periods of time and hinting at information now hidden under the finished image.
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Date Issued
2018
Identifier
CFE0006991, ucf:51618
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006991
Home Sweet Home: An Infinite Grid of Memory and Repressed Abuse Trauma
Title
Home Sweet Home: An Infinite Grid of Memory and Repressed Abuse Trauma.
Creator
Bush, Melissa, Santana, Maria, Reedy, Robert, Lotz, Theo, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
Incorporating traditional craft mediums of crochet and embroidery, I use digital technology to experiment with wording to graphically represent my abuse trauma. Due to the severity of the subject matter and the work ethic I employ in my art practice, using my hands and being completely involved is a form of masochistic pleasure. My process takes on a Sisyphean approach of penance for the sins of others in my work. During my studio practice, my process reaches a meditative state where my mind...
Show moreIncorporating traditional craft mediums of crochet and embroidery, I use digital technology to experiment with wording to graphically represent my abuse trauma. Due to the severity of the subject matter and the work ethic I employ in my art practice, using my hands and being completely involved is a form of masochistic pleasure. My process takes on a Sisyphean approach of penance for the sins of others in my work. During my studio practice, my process reaches a meditative state where my mind is clear and free of the burden. Once I've completed a panel of trauma, the burden is transported into the art and a state of enlightenment is achieved.I began this program taking an analysis from an external perspective, gradually shifting my focus of artistic practice to my internal struggles with memory and repressed abuse trauma. Since I have selfishly focused on my personal tragedies for inspiration for the past three years, my work can now address a more universal subject matter in the future.
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Date Issued
2013
Identifier
CFE0004659, ucf:49910
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004659
Investigation of The Home, a Metaphor for Belonging
Title
Investigation of The Home, a Metaphor for Belonging.
Creator
Eldridge, Jeremy, Isenhour, David, Lotz, Theo, Haxton, John, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
The written portion of this investigation gathers materials and information that deals with the conception of the family unit and the house that is literally, and metaphorically, utilized in the notion of home. This focus on the structure as a metaphor for home has further reaching implications than the structure itself. Findings show that a Western view of community and belonging is rooted in a place of stability in one's community. The basis for personal growth within that community has a...
Show moreThe written portion of this investigation gathers materials and information that deals with the conception of the family unit and the house that is literally, and metaphorically, utilized in the notion of home. This focus on the structure as a metaphor for home has further reaching implications than the structure itself. Findings show that a Western view of community and belonging is rooted in a place of stability in one's community. The basis for personal growth within that community has a direct impact on an individual's development in it. (Goldburgh, 67) The fractured nature of my experience and emotions tied with the notions of home, are expressed through both A Home Divided and the Chez Moi series photographic series. Within this investigation there are references to the artist's memories and experiences that are in contrast and discord with the traditional concept of acceptance and belonging.
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Date Issued
2013
Identifier
CFE0004678, ucf:49860
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004678
Perceptions of Life and Death Through the Metaphor of Paint; Construction and Deconstruction of Form
Title
Perceptions of Life and Death Through the Metaphor of Paint; Construction and Deconstruction of Form.
Creator
Cherry, Nannette, Poindexter, Carla, Raimundi-Ortiz, Wanda, Price, Mark, Lotz, Theo, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
This paper will explore classical and contemporary methods of painting applied to the portrait. It will emphasize the metaphor of paint as flesh and the connotations of the breakdown of the painted form that stands in for flesh as it relates to our preoccupations with our own mortality. Borrowing from influences like Lucian Freud, Jenny Saville, and Francis Bacon, the artwork explores the creation of a form that is physical and confrontational, and is intended to provoke a psychological...
Show moreThis paper will explore classical and contemporary methods of painting applied to the portrait. It will emphasize the metaphor of paint as flesh and the connotations of the breakdown of the painted form that stands in for flesh as it relates to our preoccupations with our own mortality. Borrowing from influences like Lucian Freud, Jenny Saville, and Francis Bacon, the artwork explores the creation of a form that is physical and confrontational, and is intended to provoke a psychological response in the viewer. This series of figuration bases its processes on traditional methods, while borrowing from modern art devices to interpret intangible human characteristics that clarify the representation of the subject and the moment being captured. The ultimate product of this two-fold approach is an image that is a tightly rendered representational portrait that simultaneously lends itself to gestural study.
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Date Issued
2012
Identifier
CFE0004315, ucf:49474
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004315
The Signs We Speak: An exploration of the loss of precision and meaning in language today.
Title
The Signs We Speak: An exploration of the loss of precision and meaning in language today.
Creator
Finney, Emilie, Adams, JoAnne, Kovach, Keith, Price, Mark, Lotz, Theo, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
My interest is in the beauty and power of language. I have sought to understand language on a systemic level. I have broken language down to alter signified meaning, exalted extinct words, mourned the loss of formal language, and explored the confines of common vernacular.My artwork addresses meaning within the context of Semiotics and Linguistics. I have investigated the Semiotic theories and philosophies of Roland Barthes, Jacques Ranci(&)#232;re, Pierre Guiraud, and Erving Goffman. As...
Show moreMy interest is in the beauty and power of language. I have sought to understand language on a systemic level. I have broken language down to alter signified meaning, exalted extinct words, mourned the loss of formal language, and explored the confines of common vernacular.My artwork addresses meaning within the context of Semiotics and Linguistics. I have investigated the Semiotic theories and philosophies of Roland Barthes, Jacques Ranci(&)#232;re, Pierre Guiraud, and Erving Goffman. As outlined by Roland Barthes, our language is a semiotic system used to communicate meaning. My work is also informed by the rules of Linguistics and the research of Linguists John McWhorter and Guy Deutcher. In my work I have consistently altered the signifiers within our language (words and letters) to affect meaning. I have also broken linguistic rules of syntax, word order, and word morphology (the arrangement of grammatical units), to obscure meaning. In my thesis work I have narrowed the focus of my artwork to exploring the loss of precision in language in popular culture today.I have witnessed changes in language in our culture: changes in language itself and changes in attitudes toward language. Avenues such as the Internet, social media and texting have altered the language people use and have developed a more superficial type of communication. With a desire for ease of delivery and quickness, people have created and used acronyms and catch phrases to carry content. Thus they have created representations for themselves as well as developed a habit of using minimal content. As a result, people have divorced themselves from responsibility for full absorption and communication of information not only in their personal life, but also in their educational and professional life. My work addresses this lack of understanding and reveals the detriment of growing apathy toward clarity in understanding and conviction. My progression to using sound as a medium was a result of my history and experience with music. Through examining the work of contributing artists in sound art, I found artists Laurie Anderson, Susan Philipsz, and Janet Cardiff among the most relevant to my practice. Musicians such as Philip Glass, John Cage and Trevor Wishart, inspired my creative approach as well as how I think about my work. My exploration of sound is not only relevant to the way I work; it is relevant to the direction of the art world. The medium is growing as more museums, galleries and curators are including sound and new media within their spaces. As I continue to develop my artwork and practice, I look forward to what this medium has to offer.
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Date Issued
2014
Identifier
CFE0005165, ucf:50669
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005165
Doubting Thomas: The Testaments
Title
Doubting Thomas: The Testaments.
Creator
Riascos, Ivan, Price, Mark, Raimundi-Ortiz, Wanda, Lotz, Theo, Kovach, Keith, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
This paper will discuss the creation of my artwork, which has been inspired by my experiences and understandings of Catholicism and its icons. I will consider how iconography works in art, its influence, and how and why I have created this artwork dealing with my beliefs. I will also refer to the works of contemporary artists Duane Michals and Michael Wesely to help explain my exhibition, which I have titled (")Doubting Thomas: The Testaments.(")
Date Issued
2014
Identifier
CFE0005237, ucf:50575
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005237