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Graduation Term
2013
Degree Name
Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
Department
School of Art
Committee Chair
Bill O'Donnell
Abstract
Kaitlin, my 20-year-old sister, was diagnosed with Rett syndrome when she was 8 years old. Rett Syndrome is a neurological developmental disorder that affects one's ability to use their hands and language and eventually leads to developmental regression. The best way to describe the syndrome is to imagine that a little girl has cerebral palsy, autism, anxiety, Parkinson's and epilepsy.
In this body of work I am thinking about my sister and the people closest to her, who take care of her, who love and are loved by Kaitlin: my Mother, myself, and my fiancé. I am trying to understand Kaitlin's view of the world, the world's view of her and, by extension, how she is perceived through this series of photographs. In making these pictures, I am addressing the nature of relationships, consciousness, normalcy, and the role of treasured objects in one's life. In the collages, I use the books that Kaitlin has torn and chewed. In these I am experimenting with the idea that she and I can collaborate in the art making process.
Access Type
Thesis-ISU Access Only
Recommended Citation
Webb, Marissa K., "Always Faithful: Photographic Works by Marissa Webb" (2013). Theses and Dissertations. 101.
https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/etd/101
DOI
http://doi.org/10.30707/ETD2013.Webb.M