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Date of Award

3-26-2019

Document Type

Thesis-ISU Access Only

Degree Name

Master of Fine Arts (MFA)

Department

School of Art

First Advisor

CLAIRE LIEBERMAN

Abstract

The Pain that Love Produced examines our obsession with the warrior persona in contemporary society. I am exploring the way this fixation relates to soldiers and athletes, and how their worlds intersect. This is part of a larger conversation about race and privilege in America. My sculpture is a critique of the impact of gladiator sports and war, and the peripheral damage they cause to marginalized groups, particularly young, Black men and their families. I depict the peripheral events of conflict through dioramic arrangements and highly-representational figures which also reflect my own experiences of sports and military engagement. I am interested in the socio-political expression of sculpture from Hellenistic through present times. This propels me to consider who determines what is art and what is war.

My efforts are a mesh of allegorical imagery, color, texture and surface contrasts. I employ a method I call Neo-Maché Art. With bits of paper and ordinary glue, I use this time-extensive, laborious process to render the intricate and specific details of human anatomy to make hyper-realistic works that portray scenes from wearying events. I also experiment with assemblage to explore psychological states, deterioration, fragmentation, and the experiences of danger and intimidation. In short, a metaphorical splintering.

I am looking at the caste system of games, from players to sports fans. I want the viewer to feel the physical exertion of competition. My depictions of athletes allow others to apprehend a Black man’s state of mind every day when, or if he wakes up. My project is a story of expendability.

Comments

Imported from ProQuest Moton_ilstu_0092N_11424.pdf

DOI

http://doi.org/10.30707/ETD2019.Moton.B

Page Count

45

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