Abstract

My MFA Thesis Exhibition, Reflected Dispositions, features an installation of sculptural objects and light projections in an unconventionally dark gallery setting. Spotlights shine onto the reflective sculptures, and the light is cast onto the surrounding environment. Motors or water deform the sculptures to create dynamic motion in the projections, with the cyclical changes and tempo meant to evoke a state of reflection in the audience. The percepts magnify the nuances of the material; to reveal the previously unseen.

My interest to control light stems from experiments with materials and the unexpected reflections that they produce. Since then, I have learned to relinquish some control. The materials have a mind of their own (or – at the very least – structural memory), so it becomes a collaboration between artist and object. None of these works are perfectly reproducible after their life in the exhibition. The installation is contingent to the space, and thus each work has a unique connection with where they are.

Thematically, my work revolves around the phenomenon of visual perception, through an investigation of: the physics of light, the physiology of eyes, and the psychology of processing sensations. With consideration for these elements and the complexity of visual systems, my aesthetic focus has shifted toward motion, color, and scale. The projections are abstractions of the reductive sculptures, and yet, they have potential to be something different; like seeing animals in the clouds. I want to create spaces that encourage us to slow down. To sit with. To project onto and reflect.

Language

English

Document Type

Thesis

Level of Degree

Masters

First Committee Member

Ray Hernández-Durán

Second Committee Member

Szu-Han Ho

Third Committee Member

Ellen Babcock

Keywords

installation, fine art, exhibition, light, sculpture, projection

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