Browsing by Subject "Nature"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
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    Alzheimer's Disease Narratives and the Myth of Human Being
    (2012-12-11) Rieske, Tegan Echo; Schultz, Jane E.; Johnson, Karen Ramsay; Tilley, John J.
    The ‘loss of self’ trope is a pervasive shorthand for the prototypical process of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in the popular imagination. Turned into an effect of disease, the disappearance of the self accommodates a biomedical story of progressive deterioration and the further medicalization of AD, a process which has been storied as an organic pathology affecting the brain or, more recently, a matter of genetic calamity. This biomedical discourse of AD provides a generic framework for the disease and is reproduced in its illness narratives. The disappearance of self is a mythic element in AD narratives; it necessarily assumes the existence of a singular and coherent entity which, from the outside, can be counted as both belonging to and representing an individual person. The loss of self, as the rhetorical locus of AD narrative, limits the privatization of the experience and reinscribes cultural storylines---storylines about what it means to be a human person. The loss of self as it occurs in AD narratives functions most effectively in reasserting the presence of the human self, in contrast to an anonymous, inhuman nonself; as AD discourse details a loss of self, it necessarily follows that the thing which is lost (the self) always already existed. The private, narrative self of individual experience thus functions as proxy to a collective human identity predicated upon exceptionalism: an escape from nature and the conditions of the corporeal environment.
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    Evoking Stillness
    (2016) Taylor, Miranda; Setser, Meredith
    The intricate patterns and movements of the Basket Starfish spreading its arms and swaing in the gentle currents of the sea, the glimmer of light through the canopy of a forest shining light upon the pollen and dust riding in the breeze, the tessellations of a Night Blooming Cereus on a warm summer eve; nature is deeply profound and dynamic yet effortless and unselfconscious. Here rests the stillness of mind I seek through my creations. Materials reflect the colors, textures, and movements observed in coral reefs, forests, and botanical gardens; the deep red of the Dragon's Heart Hibiscus and Heliconia, the textures of the flowering palms, and the gentle flow of the current under the surface of the ocean. By integrating aspects of Taoist philosophy and transformative meditative techniques into my studio practice, I utilize my unselfconscious state of mind to create works that reflect the subtleties found in nature to evoke contemplation and stillness of the minds of viewers.
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    Future Tense
    (2020) Troyer, Denise; Jefferson, Corey
    Nature - Humans - Past - Future - Presence - Absence These familiar terms are the stepping stones of thought that went into my thesis work. While some may pair these words together as dichotomies, I concentrate on the balancing act that exists between them. Since the first Industrial Revolution beginning in the mid-18th century, human activities have significantly altered the rest of the natural world. Other species have evolved in reaction to circumstances produced by human actions. Through my own observations of nature and research into how humans have impacted nature’s evolution, speculation began to swell as to what does the future look like? My thesis work presents found objects from human life intermingled with my own ceramic pieces that are inspired by nature but have elements of peculiarity. The relics represent a human existence and the ceramic components act as a symbol of other forms of life. These familiar, yet odd growth forms imply futurity, a continued existence. This futurity is stemming from a human element that is clearly from the past, combined with this altered view of nature. Are humans of the past too? Are these growths something of the future? At a fundamental level, the work I make as an artist is intended to imply that life will continue in some form, with or without us. My work evokes a glimpse of how things may evolve in the future in order to stress the importance of mindful consideration of how the decisions we make impact the environment.
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    Koininia
    (2020) Strong, Sarah; Setser, Meredith
    To be alive is to be in relationship. To be human is to seek connection. Through our senses we connect to one another, to the world around us and to the spirit of life itself. Our human experience is an opportunity for sacred relationship. I have found this relationship through the experience and transformation of plant life. A plants life cycle exemplifies the life~death~rebirth process that is our human experience. With intention, I harvest and transform plant fibers, molding them into handmade paper forms. Papermaking is a true alchemical transformation of natural materials utilizing earth, air, fire, and water. Being enveloped in nature provides me an opportunity for powerful reflection, grounding, and inspiration. Communicating and collaborating with the earth I am reminded to breathe more slowly and deeply. I watch the leaves moving with the wind. I see the birds flocking, moving together in unison. I come upon a plethora of examples of the harmony and tension we navigate in our human lives. Koininia bears witness to the natural world as a gateway to sacred relationship.