Date of Award
5-15-2021
Degree Name
Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Illustration & Visual Culture
Degree Type
Thesis
Abstract
The project Excorio is a series of visuals which act as a container for a fictional horror film from 1979, also titled Excorio. Films are often adorned with a curse in conjunction with tragedy, making its surplus value fetishistic in nature. When subject matter is supernatural, as it often is with horror, it is simple to explain the gruesome actions of people, on and off set, as ghostly intervention. This phenomenon is explored through films such as Polanski’s 1968 film Rosemary’s Baby and Friedkin’s 1973 film The Exorcist. A film’s props and supplemental materials can act as a catalyst for horror; they are vessels for real horrific experiences that are shared by an actor and an audience. Excorio is an interactive ghost story that places importance on a film’s supplemental materials and dares the audience to interact with it to unveil the truth. The project fosters superstition and raises the possibility that its visual artifacts contain a spirit or curse. It is an exploration of the visual culture of horror films, the telling of meta-fiction, and the cultural value of cursed films.
Language
English (en)
Program Director's Department
Graduate School of Art
Recommended Citation
Bruce, Racheal, "Excorio: Cursed Films, Haunted Props, and Fictional Reality" (2021). Graduate School of Art Theses. ETD 156. https://doi.org/10.7936/9q3y-bf50.
https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/samfox_art_etds/156