Date of Award
Spring 5-2013
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.F.A.
Degree Program
Fine Arts
Department
Fine Arts
Major Professor
McNamee, Aaron
Second Advisor
Rule, Dan
Third Advisor
Rodriguez, Kathryn
Abstract
My art is a means for investigating the passage of time, the decay of physical things, and the truth of mortality. I explore these concepts through process-oriented sculptures that emphasize ritual and material. The process is communicated with the creation of relics, often existing as drawings or the remains of degenerated sculptures. These relics bear witness to the process. I focus on themes of temporal change and death because they remain central to our metaphysical and physical existence. I see a diminished reverence for the power of death in our culture, and through my work I aim to pay homage to death while offering viewers an experience of “being present,” a deeper awareness of our existence in time. The mindfulness I speak of is an awareness of life’s temporal nature. My intention is to evoke an awareness of mortality giving rise to feelings of gratitude and humility.
Creative Commons License
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Recommended Citation
Baer, Kevin A., "Ritual Process" (2013). University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations. 1606.
https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/1606
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Rights
The University of New Orleans and its agents retain the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible this dissertation or thesis in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. The author retains all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis or dissertation.