Master of Fine Arts

thesisMaster of ArtsArt/Art HistoryA focusing element in my work is to confront the theme of life and death and how this dichotomy could be cast as metamorphoses of states of being. In many ways this is such a fundamental theme of our existence as to be at once too simple and too pervasive to be fully comprehended. As I continue to confront this theme I consider how to create a feeling of connection between these seemingly disparate states. I want somehow to evoke a sense of movement and continuity from this life on earth evolving, or issolving, into a state of nonbeing after life is ended. 1 also want to explore the idea of communication between the two states of life and death. How ever, it is important to keep this theme subtle and nonobvious in my work. In many ways I desire to keep this as private com munication of my own layered below other, more easily decoded com m unications at the surface of my images. Most importantly m work is of this place in which I dwell. My daily excursions into the hills are a key factor in everything I create. Much like the quote attributed to Mark Twain, "W rite about w hat you know ," I feel it is important for me to work with the images that I see daily and that have so m any personal references for me. Robert Motherw ell said "To express the felt nature is the artist's principal concern." My connection with this place, with these surroundings, and with the fundamental themes of hum an existence are w hat I strive to com municate in my work. The small plants, so delicate, and yet so strong in their struggle to survive, are what I use to represent my them es. The sim plicity of the small plants is elevated to the m ajestic as they become enlarged to become the central focus of my im ages, yet they retain their sim plicity of form. The background on which these im ages rest is largely abstract, yet layered with inform ation at m any levels. These icons o f the trail represent, to me, the wholeness of our existence, and the nature o f our journey through this life