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(1 - 20 of 22)
Pages
- Title
- Behind The Mask of Time: Memory and Loss as Evolutionary Forces Upon Memory.
- Creator
-
Bartolillo, Thomas, Raimundi-Ortiz, Wanda, Isenhour, David, Poindexter, Carla, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
For the past decade, I've been developing a body of work based on the concept of time, in all of its various forms. My medium varies, but my work maintains its steady, overarching philosophies and core aesthetics. The ideas of entropy, growth, decay, evolution, arrested development, fragmented memories, and fugue states; all are considered through a personal filter that borders upon the dark and macabre.
- Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFE0004326, ucf:49452
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004326
- Title
- Pioneer of Self: An Intimate Retrospective.
- Creator
-
Diienno, Juliet, Buyssens, Ryan, Mills, Lisa, Price, Mark, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Reality is ever changing, and as we gain experience, our perceptions of it transform. Plato's allegory of the cave addresses the way one person's journey from darkness into daylight transforms his reality. My own body of work can be described through this extended metaphor, similarly benefiting from effects of education, self-reflection, and experience dramatically altering my perceptions of myself and my artwork. As projected by Plato, I was forced through an arduous confrontation with my...
Show moreReality is ever changing, and as we gain experience, our perceptions of it transform. Plato's allegory of the cave addresses the way one person's journey from darkness into daylight transforms his reality. My own body of work can be described through this extended metaphor, similarly benefiting from effects of education, self-reflection, and experience dramatically altering my perceptions of myself and my artwork. As projected by Plato, I was forced through an arduous confrontation with my lack of understanding of the human condition, reshaping my ideas to comprehend and adapt to the metaphorical daylight. With new understanding, I return to give a secondary assessment of my identity and previous body of work.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2017
- Identifier
- CFE0006585, ucf:51260
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006585
- Title
- THE ACCOMPANIED EXPERIENCE AND THE AESTHETICS OF MEMORY.
- Creator
-
Dickerson, Allyson, Harris, Christopher, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
For me, a memory is the thought of a feeling. Feeling, in this case, is the appreciable radiation of sensory emanating from all objects and persons in a given moment of time. "All thought, like all feeling, is a relationship between one human being and another human being or certain objects which form a part of his universe" (Astruc). Be it an instance of attraction to another person, a place, a creation, an object, or purely an aesthetic pleasure, said instance will become ingrained as a...
Show moreFor me, a memory is the thought of a feeling. Feeling, in this case, is the appreciable radiation of sensory emanating from all objects and persons in a given moment of time. "All thought, like all feeling, is a relationship between one human being and another human being or certain objects which form a part of his universe" (Astruc). Be it an instance of attraction to another person, a place, a creation, an object, or purely an aesthetic pleasure, said instance will become ingrained as a part of an aggregation of moment-to-moment experiences that form an individual's universe and lifetime of perceptions. Through film, I hope to give a visual tangibility for such feelings, a re-playable, and relatively more permanent, representation. It's a process similar to the way a headstone memorializes a life. A few words in stone could never measure up to the present time of actually living, but this is because they are not comparable. In much the same way, a synthesized montage of images cannot be compared to a memory, but should be used as way to experience the memory in a new way.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFH0004613, ucf:45277
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004613
- Title
- Keren.
- Creator
-
Bradon, Shelly, Poindexter, Carla, Cooper, Larry, Isenhour, David, Price, Mark, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The intent of this thesis is to recognize the everyday victories of a child living with physical disabilities. This complicated subject matter has forced the exploration of a variety of media to successfully communicate the story; drawing, painting, china painting, altered books and sculpture have all become part of the process.At the age of 8 months the subject, Keren Hernandez, was diagnosed with Bilateral Closed- lip Schizencephaly, a rare disorder that inhibits development. Since the...
Show moreThe intent of this thesis is to recognize the everyday victories of a child living with physical disabilities. This complicated subject matter has forced the exploration of a variety of media to successfully communicate the story; drawing, painting, china painting, altered books and sculpture have all become part of the process.At the age of 8 months the subject, Keren Hernandez, was diagnosed with Bilateral Closed- lip Schizencephaly, a rare disorder that inhibits development. Since the diagnosis seven years ago her family has struggled to overcome these challenges, committing to avail themselves to every resource possible. I began painting and drawing to incorporate the experiences of Keren's life into a body of work; eventually we began drawing together and collaboration has naturally evolved; she and her family are an integral part of this work.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFE0005137, ucf:50719
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005137
- Title
- The Fabricated Shopping Experience: An Impersonal Impression on Consumerism.
- Creator
-
Nienass, Sherri, Poindexter, Carla, Isenhour, David, Kovach, Keith, Raimundi-Ortiz, Wanda, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
I have a compulsion to document my surroundings. I do this in all forms possible; through a picture text-message, a point-and-shoot camera, or through a high end camera. Like most women in contemporary society, I feel an expectation to be gorgeous. While I do not feel this pressure directly from my boyfriend or close friends, I am constantly surrounded by advertisements for beauty products enforcing the importance of being attractive. My current occupation as a cosmetic counter makeup artist...
Show moreI have a compulsion to document my surroundings. I do this in all forms possible; through a picture text-message, a point-and-shoot camera, or through a high end camera. Like most women in contemporary society, I feel an expectation to be gorgeous. While I do not feel this pressure directly from my boyfriend or close friends, I am constantly surrounded by advertisements for beauty products enforcing the importance of being attractive. My current occupation as a cosmetic counter makeup artist relies on convincing women to enhance their appearance. I am fascinated by how easily I can persuade clients to purchase unnecessary products. My art is both a celebration and commentary on the beauty industry and contemporary consumerism. My approach to this series is varied and complex. The individuals photographed are unaware of their participation in the creation of my work. I do not intend to exploit the subjects or places that I photograph, rather my work comes from a very natural understanding of this environment based on several years working in a major department store. I attempt to attach multiple emotions of (-) empathy, humor, and sometimes sympathy (-) to the moments I capture. My work is not fabricated or recreated, (-) it is documentary. I am aware of the times I live in, and the people that inhabit these times and places. Once documented, the captured moments in time can be reflected on from a multitude of perspectives at a later place and time. Because I also contribute to the general shopping and grooming experience, the details of these images come from a trained eye and attentive approach. I have chosen to write this thesis in an auto-biographical narrative because I play many roles. I am the retail specialist, the artist, the photographer, and the consumer.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFE0004316, ucf:49461
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004316
- Title
- For Alexander: An Exploration of Good Ole Boy Identity and Mortality.
- Creator
-
Johnson, Chad, Kim, Joo, Kovach, Keith, Isenhour, David, Price, Mark, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
(")For Alexander(") is an exhibition about masculinity as it is exhibited by Southern (")good ole boys("). I rely on original and appropriated imagery, as well as memories of loss and humor from my childhood in Alabama. Combining mixed media and sculptural elements has allowed me to investigate the subjects that interest me. I explore and artistically comment on these subjects through a mix of personal and culturally loaded imagery that records what I have either experienced or researched,...
Show more(")For Alexander(") is an exhibition about masculinity as it is exhibited by Southern (")good ole boys("). I rely on original and appropriated imagery, as well as memories of loss and humor from my childhood in Alabama. Combining mixed media and sculptural elements has allowed me to investigate the subjects that interest me. I explore and artistically comment on these subjects through a mix of personal and culturally loaded imagery that records what I have either experienced or researched, and which I realize through the ironic use of non-traditional materials, such as sequins and rhinestones.My work examines stereotypes and my own beliefs about Southern good ole boys. I also reflect on elements of Southern hypocrisy, and I question long standing social practices with the help of historical and contemporary media sources.My exhibition is dedicated to my great uncle, who was murdered by his father, a preacher, during the Great Depression.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFE0004698, ucf:49856
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004698
- Title
- JOURNEY.
- Creator
-
Martinsen, Suzann, Haxton, John, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
In my drawings and animation, I create a representation of a culture that is instilled in me, yet foreign. The work is inspired from a childlike perspective to depict a personal primitive experience with the Korean culture. The subtleties of the animations are meant to reflect the quiet nature of Asian paintings and to allow the viewer to experience and interpret it as they choose. I want others to see without hearing words in an already noisy world.
- Date Issued
- 2008
- Identifier
- CFE0002089, ucf:47528
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002089
- Title
- THE MEMORY OF FORGOTTEN THINGS.
- Creator
-
Metz, Brittany, Poindexter, Carla, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This thesis investigates my lack of childhood memories and documents how my artwork stands in as a substitute for that lost memory. The first part of the thesis analyzes my early life and influences; the second part analyzes my art making and process. The narrative style of writing is intentionally autobiographical to mimic the narrative style and structure of the thesis installation. My upbringing, interests, creative process, access to materials, and inspiration are fully explored. The...
Show moreThis thesis investigates my lack of childhood memories and documents how my artwork stands in as a substitute for that lost memory. The first part of the thesis analyzes my early life and influences; the second part analyzes my art making and process. The narrative style of writing is intentionally autobiographical to mimic the narrative style and structure of the thesis installation. My upbringing, interests, creative process, access to materials, and inspiration are fully explored. The impact my early life has on my current work is evident. Real memory is combined with created memory in the thesis multi-media installation. I wish to transport the viewer into the dreamlike space I have constructed with found objects and multi-media materials by offering an immersive experience into my world.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0003649, ucf:48814
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003649
- Title
- LEVIATHAN: ONTOGENY OF SALVATION.
- Creator
-
LeJeune, Faren L., Burrell, Jason, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Wrought from clay and hardened by fire, the narrative sculptures which comprise this body of work are dualistic symbols of life's brutality and nobility. The philosophical import of the opus is manifested through the convergence of material, process, and form - to instantiate truth and initiate analysis. In my interdisciplinary research, I have come to understand leviathan as an exceptional, universalizing symbol of life's duality and the locus of Man's potential for honorable distinction. I...
Show moreWrought from clay and hardened by fire, the narrative sculptures which comprise this body of work are dualistic symbols of life's brutality and nobility. The philosophical import of the opus is manifested through the convergence of material, process, and form - to instantiate truth and initiate analysis. In my interdisciplinary research, I have come to understand leviathan as an exceptional, universalizing symbol of life's duality and the locus of Man's potential for honorable distinction. I invoke the name in order to instigate reflection upon the concept of the world serpent as a symbolic representation of existential nuance.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFH2000350, ucf:45754
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000350
- Title
- Images of Nostalgia: An Exploration of the Creation of Recollection Through Visual Media.
- Creator
-
Dickerson, Allyson, Harris, Christopher, Danker, Elizabeth, Shults, Katherine, Perez, Jonathan, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
I create innovative artistic works in which the experiential consciousness of the viewer drifts between objects, images, and the auditory narrative. The work approaches the visualization of memory and the catharsis of the loss felt from death. The projection of light onto lifeless entomological specimens mimics the projection of memory as a means to return to what has been lost. The digital copy of the specimen flickers across their bodies as a tribute to the movement that once possessed them...
Show moreI create innovative artistic works in which the experiential consciousness of the viewer drifts between objects, images, and the auditory narrative. The work approaches the visualization of memory and the catharsis of the loss felt from death. The projection of light onto lifeless entomological specimens mimics the projection of memory as a means to return to what has been lost. The digital copy of the specimen flickers across their bodies as a tribute to the movement that once possessed them. A List of Things that Quicken the Heart is a body of multimedia installation and single channel work that has been completed as part of my candidacy for an Emerging Media: Entrepreneurial Digital Cinema M.F.A. at the University of Central Florida.The single channel video work is created in the essay film mode. The visual elements of the piece are a blend of the effect of contextualizing disparate images and subjects. It is the means by which the audience is led to draw connections to the subject of memory without making any specific inferences. As the assembly of images takes place, so too does the assembly of theoretical and observational threads in the essay narration. As the filmmaker, I am speaking directly to the viewer about the implications of my experiences and observations. The editorial rhythm is such that the viewer is allowed brief pauses in the flow of information to meditate on the subject of nostalgia, and how the film incites them to consider the notion. There will also be an ambient audio component designed with the idea of creating a subtle, auditory contrast between familiar and uncanny ambient sounds.The correlating installations will serve as artifacts of memory, the physical objects relevant to my own nostalgia, which will help to serve as a recollection of the narration. In order to integrate them with the tone of the essay film, the narration will be played as a separate component through speakers that surround the space, so that it will envelope the viewer.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2017
- Identifier
- CFE0006735, ucf:51858
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006735
- Title
- MANY TELLING MOMENTS:THE ESSENCE OF FRAGMENTED IMAGE CULTURE.
- Creator
-
Ebner, Bonnie, Haxton, David, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
My purpose in entering the UCF MFA program was to further explore and develop my passion for photography. During my time in the program, I developed my methodology--from having the traditional photography paradigm ingrained in my mind (and wanting to fit into it) to accepting and valuing my own unique process. I construct installations using diverse imagery and non-traditional presentation. In my installations, one may witness a reflection of the contemporary pace of image perception-...
Show moreMy purpose in entering the UCF MFA program was to further explore and develop my passion for photography. During my time in the program, I developed my methodology--from having the traditional photography paradigm ingrained in my mind (and wanting to fit into it) to accepting and valuing my own unique process. I construct installations using diverse imagery and non-traditional presentation. In my installations, one may witness a reflection of the contemporary pace of image perception--fragmented, complex, abundant, and disordered. Together, images and their arrangements are used to create a unified piece that satisfies a new system within apparent disorder. The resulting installations summon the sensation of thinking and processing information in a new way, allowing for re-contextualization of fragmented imagery. Technology has pushed photography to evolve. Previously held traditional notions of photography as art (e.g., "single telling moment" photographs and similar subject matter) are now being confronted by a vernacular of "many telling moments". The current state of the art world is in flux, and is greatly influenced by the faster pace set by technology; I coin our new vernacular Image Culture.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- Identifier
- CFE0002116, ucf:47561
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002116
- Title
- PERCEPTIONS OF REALITY.
- Creator
-
Dombrowski, Matthew, Hall, Scott, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
My thesis explores the relationship between the human psyche and the perception of reality through the use of computer generated media. In a society in which we are bombarded with multimedia technology, we must look inside our selves for a true understanding of our past and memories. Rather than it acting as an escape from reality, my art becomes an opening for truth in reality.
- Date Issued
- 2008
- Identifier
- CFE0002103, ucf:52847
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002103
- 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.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFE0005165, ucf:50669
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005165
- 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?
Show less - Date Issued
- 2019
- Identifier
- CFE0007472, ucf:52664
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007472
- 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.(")
Show less - Date Issued
- 2019
- Identifier
- CFE0007532, ucf:52587
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007532
- Title
- Concrete Painting.
- Creator
-
Cafcules, Stephanie, Burrell, Jason, Reedy, Robert, Hall, Scott, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This thesis explores the evolution of my artwork with synthetic materials through influences of the Minimalist and Process Artists of the 1960's and 1970's, inspiration from natural forms, and my exploration of concrete painting. Each work reveals discoveries of different processes and materials, accelerating the creation of new works. It is my hope this thesis will inform viewers about the process and concepts that my work embodies.
- Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFE0005140, ucf:50686
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005140
- Title
- THE ILLUSION OF ART: MY AMALGAMATION OF ILLUSTRATION AND CONTEMPORARY ART.
- Creator
-
Davila, Victor, Abraham, Charlie, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Drawing on archetypical aspects of human characteristics and personalities, I create images that illustrate our connection to memory, media, and culture. My work is informed by pop culture, including television, movies, cartoons and comic books as it relates to characters in our own physical world and society. The grid is used to represent both childhood games and the frames of a comic strip, where each panel equals an exact moment of time.
- Date Issued
- 2007
- Identifier
- CFE0001611, ucf:47179
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001611
- 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.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2019
- Identifier
- CFE0007490, ucf:52657
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007490
- Title
- BLACK CATS, BERLIN, BROADWAY AND BEYOND: THE GENRE OF CABARET.
- Creator
-
Tedrick, Deborah, Wuehrmann, Nicholas, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Music and Theatre have always captivated me. As a child, my parents would take me to live performances and cinematic shows and I would sit rapt, watching the theatrical events and emotional moments unfold before my eyes. Movie musicals and live shows that combined music and theatre were my favorite, especially theatrical banter and improvisation or sketch comedy. Some of my favorite youthful memories were my annual family summer trips to Las Vegas to visit my grandparents for six weeks. As a...
Show moreMusic and Theatre have always captivated me. As a child, my parents would take me to live performances and cinematic shows and I would sit rapt, watching the theatrical events and emotional moments unfold before my eyes. Movie musicals and live shows that combined music and theatre were my favorite, especially theatrical banter and improvisation or sketch comedy. Some of my favorite youthful memories were my annual family summer trips to Las Vegas to visit my grandparents for six weeks. As a youngster, I got to experience the "old school" Las Vegas, replete with extravaganza, spectacle, cabaret, circus, lounge and nightclub acts, stand-up comedy, intimate revues, and all things marketed under the guise of entertainment, art, or both. Those summers, while not overtly planned as academic or educational in nature, proved, in retrospect, to be the training ground for what was to become my passion: the art of the cabaret genre. As a person who has always loved theatrical diversity, I am drawn to cabaret as an art form. Anything that fuses other forms interests me, and cabaret amalgamates many of the artistic forms I have grown to love. I come from a unique background of classical, jazz, musical theatre and pop styles, and have studied these styles in both the piano and vocal arena. The cabaret genre allows me to realize fully the stylistic variety of performance techniques with which I excel. My mother is a classical singer and my father a jazz pianist; during my youth they would perform at the piano, "meeting in the middle" so to speak in the world of Musical Theatre, through the fusion of cabaret, classical, jazz, and pop. Growing up hearing a song like "Summertime," from Gershwin's Porgy and Bess, equally artistically rendered as both a classical aria and a jazz tune in my home was rich fodder for the vital informal education I received by being the offspring of musicians. It is due to this musical legacy that was passed on to me through my parents that I learned to explore the myriad of possibilities one can achieve through artistic musical and theatrical interpretation. Beyond the freedom of stylistic variety, cabaret performance also allows conventions such as direct interaction in the form of the proverbial "lowered fourth wall," allowing me to use my improvisational acting and interactive skill set as well as my musical skills. Cabaret is generally more intimate and personal in nature and I enjoy the camaraderie cabaret affords. Cabaret is interactive and intellectual and I am drawn to those aspects; I like the fusion of interactive banter and intellectual artistry. Also appealing to me is the "insider" sense cabaret not only allows but also encourages. Recalling my youthful memories of the Vegas shows in which the performer spoke directly to audience members, I remember the sense of belonging I felt at the recognition of some of the inside jokes. I knew I wanted to be involved with any aspect of music and theatre that would allow me the freedom to go with the moment, to reach people differently on any given day, to change with the times, and adapt to my audience and to the shifting world around me. I knew I had found a home in this intimate, insular, interactive, and intellectual art form known as cabaret. For these reasons and more I have chosen the genre of cabaret to be my intended thesis research project. I will produce, direct, and perform in a cabaret show, which will be the thesis performance. For the performance aspect of my thesis, in collaboration with my thesis partner, Josephine Leffner, I will perform a one-act chronological, historical, and stylistically varied cabaret show. The show will include material garnered from historical research of the cabaret genre, specifically settling on some of the famous women, songs, stories, lives, and important contributions. The cabaret will cover information, music, and spoken-word art from cabaret's inception in the Paris Montmartre district in 1881 to its height in Germany during the Weimar Republic. The show will culminate with cabaret's insurgence into American culture up to and including the state of American cabaret today. While my performance will focus mainly on American cabaret, a portion of the show will explore cabaret's European roots. Creating and performing this show will educate me further on the genre itself, as well as expand my performing skills through the varied styles in which I will perform within the realm of a single evening's entertainment. Creating and performing the show will also challenge me as a producer, director, promotional and administrative coordinator, music director, arranger, vocal director, collaborator, vocalist, pianist, actor, and writer. The show is intended as a kind of "Cabaret 101," in that the intended audience is treated to a night of variety entertainment with some historical background on the genre of cabaret. The audience is not expected to have any prior academic or experiential knowledge of cabaret in order to understand or enjoy the show. The cabaret intellectual will also be able to enjoy the show, as the songs, poems, skits, and sketches are intended to amuse and delight both the novice and the experienced cabaretist. For the research and analysis portion of my thesis monograph document I will provide information on cabaret's roots in France and Germany, as well as include informative research on American cabaret, its history and its current trends. I will have several chapters dedicated to the historical research and to other items such as the formatted libretto, documentation of a performance report from my thesis committee head, and a list of references used throughout the research and libretto chapters. I will include a structural and role analysis of the show itself and my contributions to it as outlined by the parameters of my graduate studies program. Several chapters of appendices will be included as information pertinent to the show such as costume, props, lighting lists as well as band and technical needs for the show itself. An introduction and conclusion will be created to bookend my document solidly and reveal myself as a person as well as a performer. This section will include reflective information on my intentions, triumphs, and tribulations, and will be codified through the opening and concluding perspectives. Through the process of writing the thesis monograph document I will create a public and personal record of the process, research, performance challenges, and decisions made throughout this journey. This document will be used as historical help to me should I need to refer to my thesis for later personal or professional use. The document will also be on record for the UCF theatre department, as I apply not only my performance training (as exhibited through the show itself) but also the research and critical thinking skills required of a masters degree candidate at a conservatory training program such as this one. Beyond its use for myself or for the department, I write this monograph document for others whose love and interest in studying the genre of cabaret match my own.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2006
- Identifier
- CFE0001421, ucf:47043
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001421
- Title
- BLACK CATS, BERLIN, BROADWAY AND BEYOND: CABARET HISTORY IN THE MAKING.
- Creator
-
Leffner, Josephine, Wuehrmann, Nicholas, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Cabaret as a genre has influenced and is influenced by musical theatre. As cabaret has evolved throughout history, musical theatre has often paralleled its journey. Cabaret thrived before the term "musical theatre" was coined and suffered hard times during the Golden Age of Musical Theatre. The correlation of the two genres cannot be denied, and exploring cabaret history will reveal how deeply the connection lies. My collaborator Debbie Tedrick and I will attempt to define cabaret through a...
Show moreCabaret as a genre has influenced and is influenced by musical theatre. As cabaret has evolved throughout history, musical theatre has often paralleled its journey. Cabaret thrived before the term "musical theatre" was coined and suffered hard times during the Golden Age of Musical Theatre. The correlation of the two genres cannot be denied, and exploring cabaret history will reveal how deeply the connection lies. My collaborator Debbie Tedrick and I will attempt to define cabaret through a two-woman cabaret show we will write, produce, and perform together. The show, Black Cats, Berlin, Broadway and Beyond, will be a one-act historical look at the genre of cabaret. It will include material garnered from historical research of the cabaret genre, specifically focusing on some of the famous women, songs, stories, lives, and important contributions. The cabaret show will cover information and art from cabaret's inception in the Paris Montmartre district in 1881 to its height in Germany during the Weimar Republic and will culminate with cabaret's insurgence into American culture up to, and including, the state of American cabaret today. American cabaret will be emphasized, but a portion of the show will explore American cabaret's European roots. My thesis will explore the triumphs and tribulations of putting together the show. As the culmination of my UCF studies, this project will test my abilities as a librettist, performer, creative artist, director, and collaborator. This thesis will include the actual show performances as well as a written monograph document recording the project's journey from its inception to conclusion.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2006
- Identifier
- CFE0001422, ucf:47062
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001422
