Date of Award
Fall 5-19-2022
Degree Name
Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Visual Art
Degree Type
Thesis
Abstract
This thesis will discuss the expanded field of sculpture, simulacra, digital technology, and two terms I’ve devised: the unknowable object, and echoed sites. Within these two terms, I’m concerned with the complicated relationship between humans and geology and how we extract material from the ground without reflecting on the geologic history of the site. In echoed sites I create sculptures with and without a geologic site or object, by way of digital technology. These forms display two states paradoxically in balance, where what’s presented leaves more questions than answers. Thus, as part of echoed sites, exists the unknowable object. Whereby the transmutation of two forms or materials creates uncanny objects. Ultimately, through both of these terms, I want you to realize that the machine processing of stone mimics geological processes, but at a faster rate. I’m critiquing our processes of excavating material because it’s occurring in juxtaposition to the millions of years rocks take to form. Echoed sites connect to the origin of geologic materials in contrast to their present state.
Language
English
Program Chair
Lisa Bulawsky
Thesis Text Advisor
Patricia Olynyk
Thesis Text Advisor
Monika Weiss
Faculty Mentor
Arny Nadler
Committee Member
Amy Hauft
Committee Member
Patricia Olynyk
Committee Member
Arny Nadler
Recommended Citation
Canizales, Joseph, "Echoed Sites and the Unknowable Object" (2022). MFA in Visual Art. 9.
https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/mfa_visual_art/9
Included in
American Art and Architecture Commons, Contemporary Art Commons, Geology Commons, Geomorphology Commons, Interdisciplinary Arts and Media Commons, Sculpture Commons, Sedimentology Commons
Artist's Statement
Through digital and analog processes, I reflect upon the intertwined relationship between geological forces and the built environment. I draw connections between modern, rapid construction methods of extracting, gathering, and processing of stone and the incredibly slow yet determined march of naturally occurring erosion. I’m fascinated by humanity’s complicated relationship with geology and how we extract material from the ground without reflecting on the geologic history of the site. Expanding beyond traditional methods of making sculpture, I enthusiastically embrace emerging technologies, such as 3D printing, 3D modeling, and 3D scanning. These processes amplify my own understanding of geological sites, while the resulting work invites viewers to experience a sense of curiosity about the secrets of the geological world. Ultimately, I’m interested in the natural environment and the dynamic relationship between humans and geology, where the viewer is challenged to see an object as both an artifact and a work of art.
My approach to investigating geology involves a conceptual space that capitalizes on digital technology while honoring the inherent nature of geological form, materiality, and time. I archive dozens of scans that I reconfigure, conglomerate, and manipulate. This commitment results in new forms that echo their original source while creating a new sensorial experience. I believe this echo is an altered version of the original—not a reflection—and that it is both factual and fictional. Through this echo, I bridge the gap between a geological site and sculpture, and what results is what I describe as echoed sites.