Contemplating Beauty

Author

Mariko Brown Harkin, Illinois State UniversityFollow

Graduation Term

2018

Degree Name

Master of Fine Arts (MFA)

Department

School of Art

Committee Chair

Albion Stafford

Abstract

29 Ppages

The objects I create are made to honor domesticity, the tradition of craft, and the utilitarian vessel. I consider the home a sacred place where I feel safe, relaxed, and at peace with the world around me. A home and the objects that reside in it are signifiers of what we find beautiful in the world around us. This consideration of beauty varies, as beauty and attraction are subjective. I am interested in how the objects we live and interact with daily act as statements of what one considers attractive or valuable. Additionally, I am interested in how domestic objects can act as metaphor for specific ideas and emotions some may experience when it comes to conforming to a certain standard of beauty society has created. These objects represent what I find beautiful, even though these representations of beauty may not be the same for everyone.

Ceramic forms, specifically jar forms, can act as a familiar entry point as they have many of the same figurative qualities as the human form. I explore how these utilitarian forms can simultaneously function as objects meant to contain items of nourishment and as contemplative, though-provoking vessels. I also discuss my interest in ornament and the history that surrounds handmade pots.

KEYWORDS: ceramics, jars, vessel, beauty, utility, ornament, figure

Access Type

Thesis-ISU Access Only

Recommended Citation

Brown Harkin, Mariko, "Contemplating Beauty" (2018). Theses and Dissertations. 846.
https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/etd/846

DOI

http://doi.org/10.30707/ETD2018.BrownHarkin.M