Date of Graduation

12-2023

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Fine Arts in Art (MFA)

Degree Level

Graduate

Department

Art

Advisor/Mentor

Callander, Neil E.

Committee Member

Springer, Bethany L.

Second Committee Member

Mitchell, Marc E.

Third Committee Member

Cassiano Alvarez, Renata

Keywords

art education; paint; ceramics; sculpture

Abstract

This paper dives into my personal journey from a far-left activist youth into becoming an artist. It explains how a poet saw artistic potential within me, introduced me to the world of art and eventually art education. I reflect on the art education I have received from several different art schools and how they try to adapt to the demands of the contemporary art world that has been in a constant condition of reshaping itself since Marcel Duchamp’s readymade. As an artist who is less focused on the techniques of traditional artistic mediums, I investigate how the state of art and my own background coalesce, in order to understand how I contribute to it through comparative analyses of my own work, works of other artists, work of curators, and exhibitions. I explore the consequences of commercial success, seemingly absurd teaching situations, collaborative work, and exhibitions as art work using a combination of personal experiences, observations, and theoretical framework.

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