Browse Objects

In Alumni Files

Type of Resource

DigitalDocument

Rights Statement

In Union College Permanent Collection

Abstract

abstract design of cut papers and magazines and black paint surrounding them with a white/gray background

Type of Resource

VisualArtwork

Rights Statement

In Union College Permanent Collection

Abstract

abstract composition of pieces of steel that twist and bend

Type of Resource

VisualArtwork

Rights Statement

In Union College Permanent Collection

Abstract

black outline of rectilinear, geometric shapes stacked upon each other; paper edges are irregular and the substrate appears layered, but may be layers of paint applied

Type of Resource

VisualArtwork

Rights Statement

In Union College Permanent Collection

Abstract

swirling brushstrokes in black and gray tones form two tornado-like, conical shapes, touching at their bases

Type of Resource

VisualArtwork

Rights Statement

In Union College Permanent Collection

Abstract

organic shapes intersecting and stacked, rust colored patina

Type of Resource

VisualArtwork

Rights Statement

In Honors Theses

Abstract

This thesis examines how plague votives played a pivotal role in helping people cope with the epidemiological crisis known as the Black Death. With medical science powerless, people turned to religion for support. To facilitate devotion and prayers to sacred beings who might intercede on their behalf, a new art form was born. Created in various media, this new plague art, which incorporated previously existing religious imagery and motifs concerning death, offered universally understandable messages of hope and protection for worshippers.

Type of Resource

Thesis

Rights Statement

In Honors Theses

Abstract

I have had a passion for ceramics ever since I was very little which I then rediscovered senior year in high school. As I reached Union and started taking ceramics classes again I was able to further explore this medium at a much higher level. I discovered after some time that I felt more in control making hand built pieces rather than throwing on the wheel. I enjoyed the imperfect look of these pots as I could see the human mistakes all worked in. As I better explored my hand building skills I made my first coil pot which was about a foot in height. Ever since this first pot I made I wanted to keep coiling. I was driven to make hand built coil vessels reaching heights of six feet tall. This project allowed me to test my skills and challenged me to figure out how to create a six foot coil pot with only a two foot kiln to fire them in. Since the kiln was a third of the size of my pieces I had to build individual sections of each vessel and then connect them together by stacking each piece on top of each other on steel bases. As I constructed each vessel I had an idea of how I wanted each piece to look, but as hand building in clay is imperfect the vessels took on unplanned shapes of their own. This naturally imperfect look, “the human flaw,” is coiled into each vessel. Each vessel embodies a different size and shape but all share the coiled construction. I intended for each pieces to speak as its own with a variety of profiles- round or square, curvy, straight or skinny. To tie all of these different shapes together I decided to glaze them all similar colors. I chose a strong deep maroon and darker glazes to show depth. This glaze reminds me of Union’s unique garnet color. These pieces will remind me of a closing to a wonderful experience here at Union.

Type of Resource

Thesis

Rights Statement

In Honors Theses

Abstract

Of the physical world, nature embodies plants, animals and landscapes. Nature is the basic and inherent qualities of something. Nature is pure and organic. It is everywhere, both responding to other elements and being responded to. The project I have been pursuing, Suggested Planes, is a study of creating natural sculptures. The work consists of my own interpretation of natural elements. Focusing on the idea that nature has her own unique method of making something, I look to find a new way. Everything in nature is distinct; there is a science behind the weight of the petal on the flower or the placement of the branch on the tree. Having studied the elements, I choose not to follow nature’s distinct directions. Instead, I see them as guidelines. None of my work is meant to be an exact replication, rather an eluding analysis, my own understanding. Additionally, my work is an exploration of steel, furthering my own knowledge of its characteristics and qualities. In creating, I have researched and studied how the great artists have seen and dealt with the idea of nature, as well as structures and have learned from them.

Type of Resource

Thesis

Rights Statement

In Honors Theses

Abstract

This thesis is an exploration of sculpture and installation. My project depicts a narrative of generational emancipation of women. The narrative was inspired by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's novel, 'Forest of Enchantments,' in which she rewrites the 'Ramayana' with Sita, the female character, as the protagonist instead. The Ramayana is a popular Hindu mythological story that revolves around Prince Rama's quest to rescue his wife Sita from the perils of the villain Raavana. This story encapsulates the undertones of the patriarchal culture in India. This My thesis installation stands as a symbol of generational transformation of love and what it means to be the woman in a marriage. The process of making this work has included steel welding, plaster modeling, woodshop tools, textile work, and installation. The installation involves a model, representing myself, sitting at a traditional foot-pedal sewing machine. My grandmother's saree glides off the table and extends towards the ceiling; as if almost flying in the air. The saree is inscribed with one of Sita's golden statements, as written by Divakaruni, "I bless my daughters who are yet unborn, I pray that if life tests them, they will think carefully and understand when they need to compromise and when they must not." iv Drawing inspiration from George Segal, Alison Saar, Zoey Frank, Marta Pérez García and Dhruvi Acharya, I was able to create an 'environment' installation. I used plaster strips to create a reproduction of my model; the process is similar to using paper-mâché. Welding and woodwork were used to build the environment for the figure and textile work was used for the narrative script.

Type of Resource

Thesis

Rights Statement

In Honors Theses

Abstract

This thesis is an exploration of steel sculpture and how each form varies in characteristics and prominence depending on size, shape, and color. I am inspired by graphic design and clean forms, and wanted to realize this aesthetic in my sculptures. The thesis work includes four steel sculptures made of two inch pipe and other maquettes and sketches to show the construction process. Through sharp angles and clean lines, I play with perspective, making viewers feel the presence and tension of my forms. I begin with sketches, construct maquettes, and use these as a blueprint during the final production. Drawing inspiration from Mark di Suvero and Carol Bove, I was able to achieve the sculpture at a monumental scale and perception, which their work mostly explores.

Type of Resource

Thesis

Rights Statement

In Honors Theses

Abstract

This thesis is a study of different chair concepts made with various techniques and methods. Usually, when taking a seat, people do not take a moment to appreciate the architecture and design thinking incorporated into a chair. The objective of my project is to have the viewer take a moment to appreciate and feel a particular way before taking a seat. I am inspired by many different architects and designers who have created chairs within their artistic careers. The thesis work includes four different conceptual chair sculptures made from steel, plywood, expanding foam, bullet liner, and bungee. When bringing my ideas to life, I start with creating rough sketches, 3D modeled renders, and maquettes, before beginning the main process of crafting the chairs.

Type of Resource

Thesis

Rights Statement

In Honors Theses

Abstract

Integrating my two passions of the visual arts and science for my senior thesis, I created a collection of paintings that represent human organs and the parallels between plant biology and animal biology. Genetically, plants are just as complex - if not more - than many animals. They have intricate sensory and regulatory systems highly comparable to humans, and on a cellular level, we share many analogous features. In addition, every single carbon atom that makes up the human body was at one time fixed in a plant during photosynthesis. We also rely on photosynthesis to give us the oxygen we breathe. Embracing these facts, I used plants and flowers to create sculptures of human organs, and then painted the sculptures in watercolor. My work is a step aside from conventional medical illustration and into creative representation. There is a delicate balance in using one specific type of nature to embody a superficially different form of life; this compelled me to take each step of the creative process methodically and with precision. In each sculpture, I focused on mimicking texture and shape of its corresponding human organ in order to create a realistic subject conveyed in painting. I deliberately incorporated shadow to give the impression that the subject is fully tangible. In each painting, I employed fine detail to capture the way that plant and human anatomy are equally sophisticated in structure. It is then left to the viewer's curiosity: if we are analogous in so many ways, then what exactly characterizes us as human?

Type of Resource

Thesis

Rights Statement

In Alumni Files

Type of Resource

DigitalDocument