Date of Award

6-2015

Document Type

Project

Degree Name

Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art

Department

Art

First Reader/Committee Chair

Katherine Gray

Abstract

My ongoing series of assemblages are an expression my modern mythology through the juxtaposition of esoteric symbols and my collection of beloved action figures. Though myth is founded in partial truths and allegories, it has the unique capability to speak about our relationships to one another and the universe. My artwork conceives of anime, comics, and videos games as part of our contemporary mythology.

Inspired by a fusion of pop culture and spirituality, I also draw on the magical properties attributed to flowers, gemstones and other materials to create shrines, altars, and other objects. Juxtaposing these properties, found in my research of esotericism and mythology, with action figures establishes symbolic connections that act as an interface to the spiritual symbolism explored in each piece.

The collision of masking tape, shoe polish, flowers; gemstones and repurposed objects result in re-contextualizations of characters from popular culture. My practice suggests new possibilities for cultural symbolism reflective of my own unique experiences and values and as an active expression of creative freedom in our experiences of the divine. My assemblages re-examine traditional categorizations in art and culture, such as sacred and profane and high and low, while attempting to demystify the veil that separates the experiential from the transcendent.

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