Abstract
This thesis serves as the written defense for the sculptural and performance work completed by Elizabeth Dee Heifferon at Stony Brook University 2007-2010. The work originates out of a concern for reconnecting the human and the natural through mutually beneficial energy exchange. In the philosophy that guides the work, there is a focus on the dynamics of energy exchange: within bodies, between bodies and forms, and within the void. In the corporeal aspect of the work, there is an exploration of environmentally safe materials and an emphasis on physical processes incorporating elements of contemporary dance and hatha yoga. This thesis introduces the work through the thoughts and intentions behind it: an interweaving of environmental and Eastern philosophies with various artistic and theoretical precedents. The work is then explored thematically rather than chronologically, moving from the development of the sculpture and installations, to the incorporation of movement work, to their synthesis in the thesis work.
