The Categorization and Use of Three Dimensional Computer Generated Special Effects in Film (open access)

The Categorization and Use of Three Dimensional Computer Generated Special Effects in Film

There has been a growing trend in the film industry in the use of three dimensional computer generated images (3D CGI) for special effects. With the popularity of this relatively new medium comes the need for new terminology. This exploration developed a general system of classification for 3D CGI effects for use in film. This system was based on a study of various writings about the significant films, which employ 3D CGI effects. A three-group system of classification system was developed. The three-group system was composed of the Elements Group, Level of Reality Group, and the Kind Group. These terms were developed to aid in the day-to-day production of 3D CGI special effects in the future.
Date: May 2000
Creator: Johnson, Charlie
System: The UNT Digital Library
Rhetorical Drawings (open access)

Rhetorical Drawings

Document that details the conception, evolution and conclusions of a body of work consisting of seven prints executed in the printmaking technique of intaglio printing in the manner of the state print. The work is discussed by explaining the visual and conceptual associations that occur in an "Alice In Wonderland" manner, where the initial idea is paired with seemingly unrelated topics to establish a progressive visual language. This language is further supported by discussing a comparative of the state print with the idea of the sketchbook as a tool of thought generation and elaboration. The technical aspects of intaglio and the choice of techniques utilized are discussed to support this comparison. How the quality of the prints reflects the quality of the sketchbook and how these techniques combine with the conceptual reasoning, which result in the body of work. Findings for the work are based on three questions that deal with the progression of conceptual reasoning, predictability of recurring ideas and the intentions of the technical choices made.
Date: May 2000
Creator: Birdsong, Daniel L.
System: The UNT Digital Library

The Evolution of Form

Access: Use of this item is restricted to the UNT Community
A craftsman’s work evolves with time, new forms arise and old forms become more refined. This research attempts to study the evolution of pots over a designated period of time. The key findings include that the approach to glazing was relatively unchanged by the evolution in the work. However,the refinements that occurred in the work allowed the glazes to impart wonderful characteristics to the forms on which they are used.
Date: May 2000
Creator: Dotter, David D.
System: The UNT Digital Library

Dialogue: An Exhibition of Ceramic Sculpture

Access: Use of this item is restricted to the UNT Community
I want the viewers of my work to participate with me in a common experience. How I choose to communicate an experience in the work is intended to effect the viewer's level of understanding and participation. Toward this end, an exploration of nontraditional self-portraiture involving the viewer in a relationship with the artist will be used to maintain the visual dialogue imparted through the work. Utilization of recognizable symbols and icons within the work is meant to increase the clarity of my communication enhancing the viewer's involvement in the common experience. Color, as a concern will relate to the increased access and interest of the work to the viewer's experience and understanding.
Date: May 2000
Creator: Freeland, Charles
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Stylistic Analysis of American Indian Portrait Photography in Oklahoma, 1869-1904 (open access)

A Stylistic Analysis of American Indian Portrait Photography in Oklahoma, 1869-1904

This thesis studies the style of Native American portrait photographs of William S. Soule (1836-1908), John K. Hillers (1834-1925), and William E. Irwin (1871-1935), who worked in Oklahoma from 1869 to 1904. The examination of the three men's work revealed that each artist had different motivations for creating Native American portrait photographs, and a result, used a distinct style. However, despite the individual artistic styles, each artist conformed to Native American stereotypes common during the nineteenth-century. The thesis includes a discussion of the history of the area, photographer biographies, a stylistic analysis of the photographs, and how the images fit into American Indian stereotypes.
Date: May 2001
Creator: Nelson, Amy
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Comparison of Texas Pre-service Teacher Education Programs in Art and the 1999 National Art Education Association's Standards for Art Teacher Preparation (open access)

A Comparison of Texas Pre-service Teacher Education Programs in Art and the 1999 National Art Education Association's Standards for Art Teacher Preparation

Texas programs in pre-service art teacher preparation vary little. Since 1970, the National Art Education Association (NAEA) has created voluntary standards in hopes of decreasing variability among programs. In 1999, the NAEA published Standards for Art Teacher Preparation, outlining 20 content areas that art pre-service programs should provide their students. To obtain information on the implementation and the extent to which these 20 standards are being implemented, a questionnaire was sent to all programs in Texas. The 20 standards were the dependent variable for the study. The four independent variables used in this ex post facto study were: the size of the institution where the program exists; the number of full-time art faculty; the number of full-time art education faculty; and, the number of undergraduate art education students who graduated last year. The 20 standards or provisions were scored on a Lickert scale with six options: zero (not taught) to five (comprehensively taught). The response size (N = 23) was 47% of the state's 49 approved programs. The results from the survey suggest no significant difference among programs. However, the results showed a significant difference in the number of provisions taught between programs with no art educators and those with …
Date: May 2002
Creator: Breitenstein, Gary
System: The UNT Digital Library
Viewers' Choice (open access)

Viewers' Choice

This paper documents the execution and exhibition of a group of oil paintings exploring themes of spectacle and the construction of reality in contemporary American society. The paintings are composed of figures and fragments of text originating in stills taken from television news and reality TV. This paper describes and assesses the paintings according to a set of questions developed by the artist at the inception of the project. Various strategies employed in the execution of the work are analyzed and compared. The contribution of this project to the field of contemporary visual art is evaluated via comparison with other art, past and present, expressing similar concerns.
Date: May 2002
Creator: Brownlee, Tracie
System: The UNT Digital Library
Replacing the Horse (open access)

Replacing the Horse

I have been working with horses as imagery for about seven years and my problem in lieu of thesis continued along this vein by researching the roles of the horse in history, specifically mobility, and developing work that creates visual links between the past and present roles of horses. I am a printmaker and the work involved in the project consists of prints that use layers of related images and juxtaposition of unrelated images to accomplish my goals of cohesion between horses and the machinery that has replaced them. As the project developed the links between past and present society became my impetus rather the horse and mobility, and my future work will respond to this.
Date: May 2002
Creator: Ebert, Matthew J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Social Intercourse (open access)

Social Intercourse

This thesis explains the stories and concepts behind each piece that was discussed on the opening night of my MFA Exhibition. The works, entitled Film Noir, Brains, Trains, and Beer, The Boy Next Door, Peterbuilt, and 10-50, H-1, was discussed more specifically and in greater detail. Speaking in public has always been a difficult task, especially on the subject of my art. My images deal with the highly intense subject matter of violence inflicted onto others as a result of human social behaviors. These vile social behaviors are translated into colorful and humorous lithographs, etchings, and drawings. These images are displayed to the public for individual interpretation. This thesis discusses audience interpretation before the literal meaning is revealed, how much information should be revealed to the viewer, and how this information manipulates the aesthetics of the piece.
Date: May 2002
Creator: Greco, Paul
System: The UNT Digital Library
Distant Proximity: Mapping Presence and Absence (open access)

Distant Proximity: Mapping Presence and Absence

Chapter I presents my background as an artist born and raised in Romania, and describes my artwork in connection with my interests and experiences. Maps and traditional Romanian art are important sources of influence. The questions in the statement of problem deal with the way ideas, references to various elements, and installation impact the artwork. Chapter II discusses the installation at the Dallas Visual Art Center, the creative process, and how the artwork addressed the questions in the statement of problem. Important points are: a step into three-dimensionality with the tall, freestanding pieces painted on both sides, the use of topographical contours in creating shapes, issues of form and content as expressed in the painted surfaces, and the interaction of the individual works in the installation.
Date: May 2002
Creator: Mitroi, Tudor
System: The UNT Digital Library
Loss of Innocence (open access)

Loss of Innocence

Loss of Innocence uses sculpture, two-dimensional imagery, and text to explore the moment when children lose their innocence or realize their mortality. In the introduction, I explain that there are many factors, such as age and personality, which determine how children will deal with traumatic events in their lives and the duration of time that must pass before they move past the event. Often, children will combine childhood fantasy with random facts to create their own satisfactory explanation of what has happened. In my problem in lieu of thesis, I discuss work that I created with these thoughts in mind. I explore how the sculpture, two-dimensional imagery, and text work together to convey the emotion of innocence lost.
Date: May 2002
Creator: Smith, Jennifer J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Surfacing the Void (open access)

Surfacing the Void

Surfacing the Void is an exploration of surface design in relationship to the topic of voids. For the purpose of this paper, two types of void were addressed: shelters and hulls. The theme behind the sculptural works dealt with negative spaces as an analogy for the voids in people's lives. The goal was to find a way for the surfaces to elicit an emotional response from the viewer that correlates to the impression of either shelter or hull. Keeping this in mind, each experiment was approached with how to best represent the meaning of void being manifested. Imagery was applied during different states of the clay: wet, dry, and fired. Methods of exploration included texturing, drawing, stenciling, stamping, incising, decoupage and covering the surfaces with textiles.
Date: May 2002
Creator: Williamson, Melanie L.
System: The UNT Digital Library

Issues of Interpersonal Bonds

Access: Use of this item is restricted to the UNT Community
In this work, sections of bodies are joined with sections of other people's bodies in order to form a new whole. Adding or subtracting relationships can many times be uncomfortable and strange, which I depict in my invented individuals based on the phases of family, such as birth, death, marriage, divorce, and the acquisition of new forms of family. This work questions issues of the family in terms of its definition, whether biologically or culturally constructed. I am creating hybrids by separating body parts from the whole and then recombining them to form a new individual. These images are a result of thinking about the possibilities and changes that people go through as a result of the new growth or loss of relationships. This work is intended to bring awareness to the way in which people relate and families become more blended.
Date: May 2002
Creator: Morin, Tesa B.
System: The UNT Digital Library

Eye of the beholder: Children respond to beauty in art.

Access: Use of this item is restricted to the UNT Community
The purpose of this study was to determine if beauty was important to elementary age children when exploring and making aesthetic judgements about works of art and to determine the criteria elementary students used in judging beauty in works of art. This study also explored beauty as a concept that could be used as an organizing idea for designing a thematic unit with the purpose of introducing elementary students to postmodern art and issues. One hundred and sixty first grade and fourth grade students looked at 20 pairs of art reproductions and picked the artwork they considered the most beautiful. The criteria elementary students use for determining beauty in artworks was found to be color, realism, subject matter and physical appearance of the subject of the work of art.
Date: May 2002
Creator: Meli, Alisa A.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Masking Meaning (open access)

Masking Meaning

Chapter I describes the purpose of the project, which was to develop a body of work that exhibits my current thought process. The questions presented to myself consisted of the following: 1. How effective was the expression of my ideas socially and politically after the change to the work? 2. Was the minimal approach a tool that contributes or detracts from this effectiveness? 3. Did an increase in scale successfully act as an element of confrontation? Chapter II describes the inspiration behind the making of my work it also discusses problems encountered with an understanding of the viewer concerning imagery. Chapter III summarizes the methodology behind the execution of the new body of work. It also discusses how simplification of imagery works as a solution to my problems.
Date: May 2003
Creator: Allee, Jake R.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Creation of Modern Fashions through the Merging of Eastern and Western culture: Spring Message (open access)

The Creation of Modern Fashions through the Merging of Eastern and Western culture: Spring Message

I have always believed the design of clothes should not try to conceal the naked body but should act as a catalyst that reveals the existence and strength of the individual. Spring Message includes three phases, Spring Message, Mystification, and My Paradise to reflect my three life experiences. Spring Message is an attempt to express my thoughts and ideas though designs in fashion, which were derived from the ancient beliefs, traditions, and western influence I have experienced. Through my individual pieces and creations I hope the viewer will be able to see who I am, where I came from, and understand the happiness and changes in my life.
Date: May 2003
Creator: Cui, Yan
System: The UNT Digital Library
Voyeurism and Fetishism (open access)

Voyeurism and Fetishism

This problem in lieu of thesis concerns voyeurism and fetishism and how they relate to art. It addresses at voyeurism from both sides of the gaze. It describes a body of work that was created to explore the relationship between the voyeur and the fetish object and the viewer and the art object.
Date: May 2003
Creator: De Anda, Veronica
System: The UNT Digital Library
Industrial Landscapes: Humanity Coexisting with Nature (open access)

Industrial Landscapes: Humanity Coexisting with Nature

The focus of this project was on creating images of our industrial landscape and shows the coexistence of culture and nature. I confronted the landscape from a position that is accepting of our present landscape. While not idealizing the present industrial landscape I wanted to depict it in a way that is not devoid of beauty. I believe that no matter how the land is altered a certain grace still comes through in any landscape. In not idealizing or criticizing I wanted to show industrial areas in an accepting light and reveal the grace and beauty that is within every landscape. It is through my photographs and all the subjective decisions made when creating these images that make it possible for others to see the beauty in these industrial landscapes.
Date: May 2003
Creator: Espey, Benjamin
System: The UNT Digital Library
Pop Baroque (open access)

Pop Baroque

My objective was to make a body of work that used baroque sensibilities with my own connections to popular culture. A series of mixed media works and one installation were created that infused baroque motifs with present popular design. My interpretation of the presence of the Baroque was expanded by using vivid colors, textures, patterns and designs collected from my environment during an investigation of the theatrical fantasies of popular culture. I expected to make work that could be approached conceptually from different angles, while being seductive on the surface.
Date: May 2003
Creator: Gassiraro, Jennifer
System: The UNT Digital Library
Woven Music (open access)

Woven Music

When I am weaving I listen to music and notice that my hands and feet fall into a rhythm. This connection reminds me of playing the piano. I took a closer look at weaving drafts; the movement of the threading setup reminded me of the notes on musical scores. This relationship inspired me to see what textures I could achieve by actually weaving the musical notes. The focus of my study is the exploration of the relationships between weaving and music utilizing elements and principles found in both, such as: color, texture, form, repetition, rhythm, and time. Both music and color produce emotional responses and will be taken into consideration within the weavings.
Date: May 2003
Creator: Jackson, Melanie S.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Memento (open access)

Memento

Chapter 1 describes my previous jewelry work related to my interest in body parts and other materials as medium and lockets. The questions in the statement of problem deal with how the use of a specific body site, color and incorporation of body parts in my jewelry make my work more intimate to the wearer. Chapter 2 discusses the work I focused around the questions proposed in Chapter 1. Important points are: a more focused way of using specific body sites to support my ideas, the use of different skin colors in my work, and the physical effect of my jewelry to the wearer. Chapter 3 expresses my own criticism about the work and my future goals after this project.
Date: May 2003
Creator: Kataoka, Masumi
System: The UNT Digital Library
Experiencing the view. (open access)

Experiencing the view.

This article discusses the way people experience the landscape. Tracing the progress of landscape photography from the late nineteenth century to the present, the author introduces the way concepts in landscape photography have changed. The author's photographs are discussed regarding how they build on the foundation of this historical precedent. Using photographs of individuals at places they think are special, the author examines their perception of landscape. The positions and actions of the subjects shape the way their attitudes are conveyed. The concept of beauty is discussed as it relates to the appreciation of landscape. By discussing with the subjects why these places are special and photographing with the intent to convey what those reasons are, the author's photographs examine the relationship of people to the landscape.
Date: May 2003
Creator: Madsen, Michael J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Reaching for Understanding: Exploring the Potential of Four-Year-Old Children to Understand Works of Art (open access)

Reaching for Understanding: Exploring the Potential of Four-Year-Old Children to Understand Works of Art

This study was designed to examine how four-year-old children might be able to respond and interpret works of art. Informed by Jean Piaget's and Lev Vygotsky's theories of cognitive development, and building on Micheal Parsons' and Abigail Housen's theories of aesthetic development, the study investigated whether or not four-year-olds are able to expand their initial responses to achieve deeper levels of understanding about works of art.
Date: May 2003
Creator: Smith, Maria Carmen
System: The UNT Digital Library
Technology, Ontology, and Pop (open access)

Technology, Ontology, and Pop

This problem in lieu of thesis outlines a body of work that uses technology and pop elements to discover ways to understand what it means to be human. In doing so it expands the interpretation of technology, ontology, and pop, and allowed the artist to find an essential balance between the three. It details the understanding of these borrowed aesthetics and their connection to the creative process.
Date: May 2003
Creator: Tosten, Erik
System: The UNT Digital Library