Date of Award
Spring 5-8-2024
Degree Name
Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Visual Art
Degree Type
Thesis
Abstract
As children we are fascinated by the mythical. Imagining the attractive or even the disturbing serves as an escape from reality. By painting unicorns, vast surreal landscapes, and imaginative playscapes my work expands the white cube gallery into an immersive extension of my imagination. By viewing the canvas as a portal into a world where limitations dissolve, I paint acidic colors, fluid boundaries, and a malleable reality.
My studio practice is inspired by artists who experiment with color and scale like Kenny Scharf, Katharina Grosse, and Pipilotti Rist. In my colorful, large-scale works I explore the transformative power of play and how it can transport the viewer into a dreamlike realm beyond the confines of the gallery space. My paintings use traditional techniques on canvas combined with artificial craft materials such as rhinestones, collages, and glitter to create a maximalist, fantasy escape for the viewer. In my work I am able to blend dance, intuitive mark-making, painting, and collage together to achieve an exhalation of delight, wonder, and joy.
The following text explores and elucidates my processes of making paintings and creating videos that encapsulate the overwhelming feeling of childlike awe, dreams of vintage pop-culture cartoons, and personal memories of play.
Language
English
Program Chair
Lisa Bulawsky
Thesis Text Advisor
Cheryl Wassenaar
Thesis Text Advisor
Meghan Kirkwood
Faculty Mentor
Cheryl Wassenaar
Committee Member
Jamie Adams
Committee Member
Jack Risley
Committee Member
Cheryl Wassenaar
Recommended Citation
Moon, Sarah, "The Land of Reverie" (2024). MFA in Visual Art. 22.
https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/mfa_visual_art/22
Artist's Statement
I create a space to wander in the weird and the wonderful.
My work is deeply rooted in my childhood fascination with the mythical. Hours spent in fantasy-world-building societies like Webkinz World or Sims on the internet have left an indelible mark on my artistic journey. This fascination is reflected in my paintings of unicorns, vast, surreal landscapes, and imaginative playscapes, which transform the white cube gallery into an immersive extension of my imagination.
The blank canvas is a plane for abundant dreams, boundless possibilities, and a malleable reality. By blending material, scale, and play, I make paintings, installations, and videos that encapsulate an overwhelming feeling of wonder and childlike awe.
When I step into my studio and turn on my radio, I embark on a magic carpet ride of sorts. Intuitively, I reach for materials like paint, oil pastels, and collage materials that I have collected over the years. I dance in my studio, letting the music guide my movements as I drip, spray, and push paint across yards of canvas. My paintings use traditional techniques combined with craft materials such as rhinestones, collages, and glitter to produce a maximalist, fantasy escape for the viewer.
Blending dance, intuitive mark-making, painting, and collage together, I create an exhalation of delight, wonder, and joy. I believe in the transformative power of play and how it can free the viewer from the confines of the gallery space and transform them into a dreamlike realm.