Date of Award
Spring 5-9-2026
Author's Department
Graduate School of Art
Degree Name
Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Visual Art
Degree Type
Thesis
Abstract
This thesis explores how photography can make ongoing processes perceptible. Here, ongoing processes refer to the continuous shaping of landscape through the interaction and temporary balance of different forces, rather than a fixed or static condition. Through photographic series my work focuses on subtle traces left by different forces, including natural growth, gravity, environmental conditions, and human intervention. By introducing the concept of “trace,” the image is no longer understood as a static record of a single moment, but as a manifestation of a temporary balance among multiple forces. Rather than relying on event-based or linear narratives, my thesis artwork, Within Stillness, shifts attention from the perception of a single image to how relationships between images further reshape perception. Through juxtaposition, pauses, and variations in visual intensity, the viewer is guided into a slower and more sustained process. Ultimately, this thesis explores ways that photographs can help viewers sense the spaces—whether in urban or natural settings—as continuous formations.
Language
English
Program Chair
Tiffany Calvert
Thesis Text Advisor
Meghan Kirkwood
Thesis Text Advisor
Meghan Kirkwood
Faculty Mentor
Meghan Kirkwood
Committee Member
Meghan Kirkwood
Committee Member
Cheryl Wassenaar
Committee Member
Josh Azzarella
Recommended Citation
Chen, Yitian, "Within Stillness" (2026). MFA in Visual Art. 46.
https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/mfa_visual_art/46