Garden Variety

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McDonald_Makenzie_2022.pdf(564.63 KB)
Date
2022-04-25
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Abstract
My honors thesis is my BFA exhibition: Garden Variety (figure 1). The exhibition is a garden; a landscape constructed from sculptures that are as subversive as they are sweet. The subversive power of decorative arts employs tongue-in-cheek commentary on consumerism and outdated societal notions of femininity in this body of work. The glorification of banal objects like topiaries and plastic flamingos question the role they play in our material lives. Landscapes of astroturf and glossy majolica evoke imposed ideals and standards of unrealistic beauty. Using kitsch themes and camp aesthetic a dichotomy of perfection vs reality is presented. I’m inspired by the rich history of terracotta with its architectural, sculptural, and functional past. I use terracotta as a vehicle for expression; creating dream-like spaces with fragmented references to an American suburban eutopia. Bilateral symmetry is employed throughout the exhibition as a deliberate means to construct a distinctive space reminiscent of classical architecture and suburban ubiquity.
Description
Thesis completed in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Alfred University Honors Program.
Keywords
Honors thesis, Art, Photography, Ceramic Art
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http://hdl.handle.net/10829/24801
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Student Honors Theses