Master's Theses

Department

Art

Degree Name

Master of Fine Arts (MFA)

Abstract

Conduit refers to the means of conveying something vital from place to place or between beings. Clearly visible in some works, for which the connection plays a formal and symbolic role, the undisguised conduit shows the ways we connect to others. In its naked form, the conduit reveals the nature of our connections to others. At times fragile and tenuous, it can be tenaciously strong, sometimes so strong, perhaps too strong, that where the joint will not give way, the body itself will break. Made visible by the tubular form of the plant stem seen in cross -section, conduit cells within the stem can be viewed as roughly circular, representing organic wholeness, completion, and cycles. Systems created by cells call to mind little communities, in which many individuals come together to form a larger, functioning whole. Borrowing plant parts and imagery to represent stages in the human life cycle: life and death, growth and decay, reproduction and fertility these works transcend mere scientific investigation. In other works, the architectural forms with their reference to religious rites suggest the conduit or connection to the unseen, the spiritual, or that which is bigger than the individual. Whether viewed from a microscopic or cosmic perspective, the conduit suggests that the passage, the journey through which all life and energy flows is essential.

Keywords

ceramics

Advisor

Linda Ganstrom

Date of Award

Summer 2010

Document Type

Thesis

Rights

© The Author(s)

Comments

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