Herron School of Art and Design Theses

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CONSIDER THIS MY THESIS
(2010) Pazzol, Matthew; Morrison, David
Life is often compared to a maze. Each decision is a path that leads to another path, towards some goal and, inevitably, an exit. But the puzzle of the maze is invented, and life is real. My art is the maze of how I see my own life's decisions map around me. It is presented as an entry into my own thoughts. It is offered as an exercise in sharing another's vision. If you take my hand and walk through it, you will experience how I choose one obstacle over the other. You can follow my steps and tread my course with me.
Building a Universe Construction Series
(2010) Tennant, Susan; McDaniel, Craig
In his famous essay “On the Spiritual in Art,” Wassily Kandinsky, described art as a portrayal of spiritual values. He stated “All art builds from the spiritual and intellectual life. While each art form appears to be different externally, their internal properties serve the same inner purpose, of moving and refining the human soul.” [1] This belief in creating a dialogue between life and art that Kandinsky referred to is something I believe as well. The sculptures in this body of work Construction Series, re visualizations of this life-affirming philosophy.
SPECTACULAR! SPECTACULAR!
(2010-05) Hardy, Jodie Ann; Nordgulen, Eric; Hull, Greg; Kinsman, Patrick
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs might be as relevant today as his theory of human motivation was in 1943 when he first published it, but even 1970’s advertiser’s adoption and revision of it to include the higher ranking “aesthetic and cognitive” needs don’t fully account for today’s apparently insatiable desire for entertainment on demand (Maslow, Chapman). We want to be stimulated – constantly. We procrastinate, ameliorate, and celebrate by plugging into spectacles large and small on screens of equally variant size and scope. We get a buzz from the buzz we foster. We are swirling in a spectacle of our own device. We are the tail that wags the dog.
Choosing Violence
(2010-05) Sansone, Dominic Mario; Hull, Greg; Nordgulen, Eric; Kinsman, Patrick
Through my current body of artwork I am venturing to give voice to the violence of humankind and the role each of us play in facilitating an endless cycle of barbarity. Much of the work is autobiographical, drawing heavily from my past and world-views. Jean Baudrillard writes, “The real victory of the simulators of war is to have drawn everyone into this rotten simulation” (253). My childhood was filled with playthings of a violent nature; toy guns, army men, tanks, and fighter jets. Fantasies of war were acted out with glee, as I pumped round after imaginary round from a plastic machine gun into unseen adversaries. As a young adult I became a part of the Military-Industrial Complex in the private sector where I spent two years working in the aerospace industry producing fabrication and assembly drawings for satellites, military aircraft, and mobile artillery units. Since becoming a father I have reflected on my own childhood and my past employment and come to realize the truth contained in the adage “history repeats itself”. Growing up in the 1980s I can recall a significant fear of the Soviet Union and nuclear obliteration at their hands, and now, thanks to the nightly news, my son may have radical Islamists and terrorists as the source for his nightmares. Always a new enemy, always some new evil to vanquish, war without end.
SUBJECT TO CHANGE
(2010-05) Armstrong, Kathryn J.; Nordgulen, Eric
The idea of change as a transformable subject implies an impermanent situation that informs a set of unknown variables. As human beings we are never the same. We are always transforming, moving and adapting, while building a sense of place within an established environment as way to become more familiar with the self and its surroundings.
Introspected
(2010-05) Custer, Jacob; McDaniel, Craig
The dichotomy between expression and interpretation allows communication to happen. Communication is a sensual experience. I approach art as a visual language and I use intuitive constructions of carved wood, engraved acrylic, and light projections as an expression of a personal interpretation of the introspected internal dialogue between my mind, my hands, my eyes, and the materials. The hand is an extension of the mind and the materials are an extension of the hand. As an artist I use the relationship between mind and hand to give physical form to ephemeral streams of thought. This body of work attempts to use the dichotomy of internal versus external that is woven into the human condition, as I understand it, through the construction of wooden armatures that fuse with scribed, shaped clear acrylic plastic forms. Clear acrylic that has been scribed by an engraving burin is melted and mounted onto the wooden armatures. Heating the acrylic softens it and allows for it to bend to the contours of the wooden structures the result is a drawing that has been transformed from a two-dimensional image to a three-dimensional object thus, the image exists in a physical space not an imitated or simulated space.
Exploration Leading to Self-realization
(2010-05) Sowles, Gene H.; McDaniel, Craig
What I find interesting about the process of exploration is the quality of not knowing. When I came to graduate school it was with the intent of keeping an open mind to the possibility of growing. I wanted to be able to take my art to new places. I feel that with the recent emphasis on trying new forms by removing the representational aspects of what I had previously been involved with, I’ve found a new vocabulary that resonates personally as well as in a wider sense. Though using very familiar materials the things I have made were not familiar, at least not at first. I’ve gone through a stage or period of anxiety regarding the products and process of this exploration. I think it is a natural part of the process to question what the results are. So I question the process and the product of the process.
Let's Plan Our Escape
(2010-05) Mason, Jill Marie; Winship, Andrew; McDaniel, Craig; Jamie, Pawlus
I have one sister, Jenny, and most of our childhood was spent living in the country. With few other peers nearby to play with, we were best friends. Over time, we grew to be a very imaginative duo. I have many memories of playing pretend. It started early on. My earliest recollection of this activity is a happy one that is most likely triggered by a photograph of Jenny and myself. We are standing in front of the fireplace. Jennyʼs arm is around my shoulder and mine is around her back. We are both smiling. The photograph provides a three quarter view. We are each wearing a ruffled bonnet. Under Jennyʼs is a red yarn wig. The bonnets are tightly tied around our chins. Our faces are decorated with exaggerated freckles in a classic three points in a triangle fashion. We are wearing red, long sleeved frocks overlaid with white jumpers that have green diamond appliqués around the waist. Underneath these rompers we are sporting white knickers. Some may think that we are supposed to be Raggedy Ann, but those in the know (people, especially women, born in the mid 70s to early 80s) would recognize the garb as belonging to Strawberry Shortcake. Our mom fashioned these costumes for us on her sewing machine. She always nurtured and fostered our desire to pretend to be other characters or people and the creativity that came out of it.
Repetition and Nature
(2010-05) Tovar, Gustavo; Robinson, Cory; Tennant, Phil; McDaniel, Craig
I consider myself the type of person who is looking to improve what I recognize is my passion for creating and innovating. I have always had a strong interest in using materials, forms, colors, and textures, the surrounding environment, and viewers. The study of art and design allows me to pursue this interest.
PERSONAL PROSTHESIS
(2010-05) Ross, Edward; Tennant, Phil; Robinson, Cory; Baker, Lesley
There is truth and inherent beauty in incomplete thoughts and half lived ideas. Muddling through the nature of aesthetics is enough to support multiple bodies of work. Add to that a rich historical tradition based in craft, and you will find not only a complex set of ideas and contradictions, but also a sense of pride mixed with resentment. At the heart of the matter, creativity and curiosity remain the main motivational factors for approaching each day with a desire to make and to work with ones hands.

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