Date of Graduation

5-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Fine Arts in Art (MFA)

Degree Level

Graduate

Department

Art

Advisor/Mentor

Callander, Neil E.

Committee Member

Andree, David

Second Committee Member

Thompson, Jody

Third Committee Member

Posnak, Adam

Keywords

ceramics; color; drawing; painting; studio art; visual art

Abstract

This narrative depicts a caricature of the human experience through the eyes of my alter- ego character, Pepper Plinkett. Pepper is a symbol of my personal philosophies of what it means to be human, and serves as a protagonist and guide through an infinite, ambiguous natural world. This exhibition is a celebration of the vibrancy, curiosity, and ridiculousness of a lifetime. The uniqueness of humor as a specifically human trait and its use as a tool of communication, particularly in expressing authenticity, is the driving force behind my use of clowns in my work. I take an absurdist approach to the analysis of human nature and history, reviving historical clichés and twisting them into commentary about the ludicrousness of existence. I am concerned with evolution at all stages, from biology’s gradual changes over millennia to my own personal evolution as an artist and individual. The exploration of cycles (life, behavior, taste, expression, and experience) is of great interest to me in my studio. Influenced by lowbrow pop-surrealism and contemporary culture as much as art historical canons, I conflate antiquity and modernity into a world of playful timelessness.

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