Date of Award
Spring 5-2017
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.F.A.
Degree Program
Fine Arts
Department
Fine Arts
Major Professor
Kathy Rodriguez
Second Advisor
Aaron McNamee
Third Advisor
Ariya Martin
Abstract
My art distills my relationship to spirituality, digital culture, and the practices and side-effects therein, into a simplified visual language. The work manifests in the form of paintings, drawings, and light sculptures. Meditation and mindfulness training are a large part of my influence and interests. I often wonder how mindfulness practice can be mirrored in my artwork, not only in my process for creating the work, but also with what the resulting imagery does for the viewer. My intention is to provide an art form that invites one to look and experience one’s own capacity to observe, without the need for immediate intellectualization. I wish to offer people an opportunity to focus their attention on the phenomenological sensations that emanate from the art, to take a step back from the conceptual part of the mind, and step into a part that’s more fundamental to our moment to moment reality.
Recommended Citation
Benson, Martin L., "Beginner's Mind" (2017). University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations. 2365.
https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/2365
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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.