Master's Theses

Department

Art

Degree Name

Master of Fine Arts (MFA)

Abstract

Death is all around us. We know that all people eventually die, but contemporary society prefers to sanitize and remove death from our experience. This is not a new phenomenon. Humanity has long held an aversion to this mysterious and degrading process. We understand since we despise pain and loss. Death periodically intrigues us, but more so when we feel that we are standing at a safe distance. I grapple with the ugliness and mystery surrounding death, but I also hope for an end of loss and sorrow. From a position of belief in death’s passing, I create ceramic sculptures of the human body.

These sculptures are made using a variety of techniques. Modeling is the primary technique used by which I shape the clay with my hands and various tools. It is an intimate process that requires studying the many intricacies of a form. Other techniques demonstrated include slip dip, press molds, and slip-cast lithophanes. Some pieces have materials added to the clay body, such as colorants or paper, to give specific color or to make the clay more workable. Mixed media elements such as wood, paint, dirt, or wax are incorporated into some pieces to aid the surface and display of the work. Film photographs and a video are displayed alongside the ceramic sculptures, furthering the themes of life’s transience and hope.

Each sculpture is first a “memento mori” –– a reminder of death and the body’s eventual decay. By displaying death’s ugliness, I intend not to express morbidity or despair but urgency, humility, and reverence. By standing close to death we understand our limitations and more readily ask, “What holds true significance?” Alongside the “memento mori” theme, each ceramic sculpture or photograph conveys a more specific religious layer. Each piece in form and title references Biblical passages and concepts related to death. The portrayal of the body is fragmented and disintegrated. Its health and wholeness are lost because death is a curse for humanity’s rebellion against God. Many pieces, however, also allude to biblical accounts of supernatural occurrences in which life returns to the dead or the dead rise in permanent life. These remarkable occurrences of recreation or resurrection signify hope and speak of grace. While death pervades our experience, our experience is limited. There are glimpses of a greater glory beyond death when the blind receive sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear. And perhaps the most marvelous revelation of hope comes from Christ’s words declaring, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he dies, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” Indeed, there is an anticipation that death will end.

Keywords

Death, Memento Mori, Resurrection, Faith

Advisor

Linda Ganstrom

Date of Award

Summer 2023

Document Type

MFA Portfolio

Rights

© The Author(s)

Comments

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