Distraction and Community: The Magic of Playtime

Author

Heather AlfaroFollow

Date of Award

Spring 5-12-2017

Author's School

Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts

Author Department/Program

Graduate School of Art

Degree Name

Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Visual Art

Degree Type

Thesis

Abstract

Experiencing awkward encounters due to an anxious disposition, I create work that fulfills my own needs to fulfill the needs of others. By manipulating environments and providing props and crafted items, I take control of the situation to function within. Using craft, gift-giving and play, I encourage the audience to participate within my work—fostering community by providing an opportunity to play. Being ever fleeting, the encounters with the work and with the other participants distracts to allow the audience to lose themselves. When the work is gone, the memory lives on to comfort, and to inspire.

Language

English (en)

Program Director

Patricia Olynyk

Program Director's Department

Graduate School of Art

Thesis Advisor

Richard Krueger

Committee Member

Jessica Baran

Committee Member

Jessica Baran

Committee Member

Patricia Olynyk

Committee Member

Sarah Colby

Artist's Statement

Permanent URL: https://doi.org/10.7936/K7GT5KN9

Recommended Citation

Alfaro, Heather, "Distraction and Community: The Magic of Playtime" (2017). Graduate School of Art Theses. ETD 72. https://doi.org/10.7936/K7GT5KN9.
https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/samfox_art_etds/72