Abstract:
This written portion of the MFA requirement will complement the exhibitions I've presented and concepts I have negotiated during my three years of study at Stony Brook University. The visual projects I will explore in this thesis include Polar Bears in Space, 2008; Please Stand By, 2009; Stoned, 2009, and Stoned II 2010. I will discuss the influences that have informed the work; personal and general reactions to the artworks once presented; and new theoretical concepts emerging from the artwork after presentation. I will detail and break down my process of creation and discuss my beliefs on art as a medium of translation. During my study at Stony Brook University, I completed a 15-credit certificate in Advanced Cultural Studies. In several of these Cultural Studies courses, I took the opportunity of writing about my work in the context of material studied in the term. I will detail the solidification of my ideas, and my goals for working with non-traditional educational opportunities within the arts at museums and community organizations. I am working towards creating an arts organization that involves community programming, and an artist in residence program.
