Midheaven

This dossier and accompanying exhibition at McIntosh Gallery, both titled Midheaven, constitutes my Master of Fine Arts Degree at the University of Western Ontario. Within this dossier I reflect upon what guides my art practice. This includes various historical influences, such as artist and writer Carolee Schneemann, philosopher Manly Palmer Hall, and the astrologer Stephanie Clement. In addition to the inclusion of anecdotes from my own life, within my thesis I analyze various occult concepts and practices, particularly tarot and astrology. I consider these understandings to be a direct window into the thought processes that drive my art practice. The first section of my thesis is the Comprehensive Artist Statement. Here I explore continuities across visual art, language and the occult in the form of drawings and sculptures. The second portion of my thesis, the Writing Practice Component, consists of transcripts of an interview with Dr. Imants Barušs, professor of psychology and altered states of consciousness at King’s College, in London, Ontario. The third and final section of this text includes images of my creative output throughout my Master of Fine Arts degree. Here I have included photographic documentation of my exhibition at the McIntosh Gallery, and my Curriculum Vitae