Date of Graduation

5-2018

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Fine Arts in Art (MFA)

Degree Level

Graduate

Department

Art

Advisor/Mentor

Hulen, Jeannie L.

Committee Member

Posnak, Adam

Second Committee Member

Jacobs, Lynn F.

Third Committee Member

Musgnug, Kristin A.

Abstract

My work is a composition of contemporary fairy tales of visual, written and oral forms. I examined the historical evolution of formula, from animal milk, to powder formula and now to a combination of animal milk, human milk and powder. The current scientific research being done with formula and animals, coupled with a fairy tale is the inspiration behind my current tale. The importance of women both in regards to the historical development of keeping a cultural tradition alive through oral tale-telling and the much larger role of keeping humankind alive through reproduction and birth, further build the base that my tale stems from. Milk has strong cultural relevance, one example being its use in fairy tales as a liquid that gives strength. In fairy tales boundaries in regards to milk are continually crossed, male giants nurse humans, animals nurse humans, and there are animals that nurse other species. The fairy tale that I tell is accompanied by physical objects that I produce, in order to help traverse the muddy waters of reality and make-believe, and to show how the future intertwines in both realms. With this in mind, the idea of living in a world where cross-species seem fantastical but inevitable, is a reality.

The tale, “The Milking Mouse” draws upon my personal experiences of childbirth, nursing, and my interest in oral tale-telling; but also includes my research into the scientific advances being made in genetics, and the cultural significance of fairy tales. I use these sources as the foundation of a tale that is told both orally and visually through my body of work.

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