Date of Award

12-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art

Department

Art

First Reader/Committee Chair

Bradley Spence

Abstract

Adaptive

Adjective

Adap.tive ( ə-ˈdap-tiv)

of, relating to, or being a heritable trait that serves a specific function and improves an organism's fitness or survival

Compulsion

Noun

Com.pul.sion (kəm-ˈpəl-shən)

a repetitive behavior or mental act that a person feels driven to perform to alleviate the anxiety and distress caused by an unwanted thought or urge, known as an obsession.

For years we have lived in unprecedented times. From the worldwide quarantine in 2020 resulting from the pandemic, to our current US political crisis. The constant barrage of events is overwhelming and demoralizing.

The work in this gallery is a display of my coping mechanism. I am fascinated with the microscopic and its metaphor for anxiety. Both are imperceivable, a catalyst striking seemingly at random with the power to disrupt normalcy. In response, I compulsively create my own imaginary viruses as an attempt to regain control over the invisible. It is not only a meditative practice, but an act of resilience. The work is brightly colored, a conscious decision to choose joy. It is a whimsical resistance against the viruses and policies that try to cage me.

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