Date of Award

Spring 5-10-2018

Author's School

Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts

Author Department/Program

Graduate School of Art

Degree Name

Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Visual Art

Degree Type

Thesis

Abstract

The art of assemblage is an artistic form that allows for the incorporation of found objects from the immediate environment into the creative process. Spontaneity and improvisation are the result of keen observation which can lead to finding beauty in unexpected places and things. By combining unrelated objects and materials whose original purpose may not have been artistic, a sense of juxtaposition is achieved.

My art is the alchemy of taking discarded objects and transforming them into mixed-media collages and assemblages. These repurposed objects utilize materials discarded decades ago, which may have been used in the construction of St. Louis —bricks, chains, nails, wrought iron, metal tools. In abundance throughout the Northside, these discarded objects are the product of a city where people and objects are treated as disposable.

I use these discarded materials to express my deep personal emotions about the visceral qualities these objects display. In addition to their artistic beauty, these everyday ordinary objects contain the history and tradition of the community they come from. A history and tradition that is worth preserving for future generations.

Language

English (en)

Program Director

Patricia Olynyk

Program Director's Department

Graduate School of Art

Thesis Advisor

Buzz Spector

Studio/Primary Advisor

Buzz Spector

Studio/Primary Advisor

Richard Krueger

Studio/Primary Advisor

Denise Ward-Brown

Committee Member

Michael Byron

Committee Member

Michael Byron

Committee Member

Ronald Fondaw

Artist's Statement

My studio practice centers on assembling disparate found objects from abandoned houses, alleyways and antique shops—things that I scavenge from the city. A treasure trove of materials has been left behind for me to gather—wood molding trim, chain link fences, rusty tools, chains and bricks—are among some of the objects I can reuse and repurpose at my discretion. Embedded in the narrative of these objects are the possibilities of being transformed into sculptural statements. These discarded objects are transformed into cultural, artistic evidence that tell a story about what we value and how we treat the people that once owned and used them. The artworks I create are intentionally ambiguous and are meant to be understood when viewed as a collective. By providing just enough visual stimulation in my sculptures to create curiosity through juxtaposition, the viewer can question the original purpose of their components and how their meanings have shifted through what I’ve done with them.

Permanent URL: https://doi.org/10.7936/K7MK6CB0

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