The internal necessity to rediscover myself constantly drives me back to the country where I spent most of my life, Mexico. I was born and raised in the heart of the world's largest metropolis, Mexico City and through the years I have photographed in locations with important significance for Mexican culture as well as for my personal history. I reorganize and reinvent these places, and by staging models there, I construct my personal interpretation of the Mexican way of life involving the world of “manana” (tomorrow) with its “dictadura perfecta” (perfect dictatorship), where opposite and contradictory situations exist side by side. I am particularly interested in the relationship between people and their environ-ment and I use this theme as a means to explore my own identity as a Mexican. One strategy involves juxtaposing cultural signifiers of Mexican culture. My images are an examination and a projection of my ideals, fears, and dreams about my country and myself.

I look at the world as a sculptor, examining physical constructs and implied meanings. My current research developed from my earlier studies of “containment” or, more specifically, “encapsulation,” creating visual, often physical, boundaries around selected content. Encapsulation confers a more active role than “containment”, a process rather than a result. This idea speaks to the issues of form, and asks the viewer to question the outside “shape of the form” in relation to the inside shape and content. My work focuses on exposed interior spaces and forms, allowing the viewer to enter the space physically as well as mentally and psychologically. Built in a large enough scale, the viewer could actually become the content. The sculpture’s interpretation revolves around the seen as well as the unseen. I built this duality into my work by using transparent and opaque materials. I also implemented small diameter stainless steel rod along with the transparent and opaque vinyl to reduce forms to their respective shapes and volumes. This approach allowed me to clean the “slate” of an object’s collective meaning and context, adapting it to the intent of my work.

I believe that the ability to change and freely rearrange a drawing or painting by erasing or painting over a mistake allowed me the freedom of spontaneity, whereas the perceived finality of printmaking hindered a freer approach. I began to start thinking of my prints as if they were my paintings or drawings. Fully freeing myself from planning any of my work has led to some unforeseen consequences. I have begun to realize that the work creates a life of its own. Some works have a greater influence over me and tend to live longer in my work. These pieces, whether they are drawings, paintings or prints, start a chain of ideas that push me to investigate new areas of conceptual and formal application related somehow to these first influential works.

The problem I choose dealt with a new material to use in conceptual art. Since the nature of my work deals with ribbed sculptural forms that explore conceptual abstractions of recorded observations, I investigated a new material called composites. A composite is defined as two or more materials that are combined to share the best qualities of both. Laminated foam core, nylon fabric weave, vinyl, and resin composites may introduce an aesthetic and structural advantage to traditional material such as wood and metal. Innovations in laminated composites and methods of joining unfamiliar materials could offer an advantage for these new sculptures. A series of six ribbed sculptural forms were constructed, which consist of laminated composite material relating to personal observations expressed in my journal in the last quarter of the year 2000. The material was introduced in the desire for a cohesive formal relationship between the concepts and the forms. Patron, 2001 Mixed Media, 19"x 8"x 4"; PDQ, 2001 Mixed Media, 10"x 8"x 2"; PDQ2, 2001 Mixed Media, 21"x27"x3"; Bishop, 2001 Mixed Media, 23"x11"x5"; Coaster, 2001 Mixed Media, 14"x12"x9" and Putsch, 2001 Mixed Media, 69"x48"x24".

The challenge of this project was to present subject matter in a way that did not seem common to the viewer. With this goal in mind, I aimed to switch the traditional roles of material and form in order to aesthetically elevate the commonplace. For my proposed project I combined traditional sculptural materials and processes with commonplace subject matter. I took a chance at the beginning of this project by making something that I had been joking about until I realized that this might be an interesting piece. From this point on I made a conscious effort to make whatever popped in my head. Although I am not a literary person, it seems that with this body of work I backed into what I might call "ironical metaphor."

During my career producing functional ceramics, I have followed a very traditional working methodology. As with many functional potters, I have always maintained a high level of productivity. Making many similar pieces allows me to develop an idea and to refine it through the working process. My method for developing a new piece is to first design the form, then to decide upon the desired manipulation of the surface planes and surface, and finally to consider the glazing and decoration to refine this new piece of pottery. I work with the new form systematically attempting to isolate and change specific elements, attempting to make each piece in the series more successful. Finally, changes are made to alter the form and decoration in order to achieve an integration of the new design into the present whole of my work. I make every piece intending that quality and craftsmanship will define each piece as an exceptional piece of pottery. Although my intention is that every piece be exceptional, the percentage of exceptional pots is not that high. In each kiln load, a minority of pieces meets my specific criteria of exceptionality. Although the other pots in each kiln load are of high …

I investigated several problems I have found concerning contemporary jewelry design. These problems are linked to the industrialization of jewelry making. The industrialization of jewelry making led to the preference of using less precious metal, of using Prong, Crown, and Channel stone-settings, and of using high polished mirror finish for surface treatment. My work addressed the prominence of metal in jewelry design and alternate forms and techniques of stone-setting and surface treatment.

My approach to the art making process is a kind of poetic reverie on forms and spaces. Webster’s Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary defines reverie as “a state of dreamy meditation or fanciful musing; a daydream, a fantastic, visionary or unpractical idea.” It is a romantic notion that has less to do with the big questions of existence than it does the incidental parts of daily existence. Reverie is a state of mind that comes from being receptive and finding simple pleasure in the affects of imagination. My paintings, drawings and sculpture evolve out of the freedom to imagine shapes and spaces that describe different kinds of interactions. They come from recollection, awareness, and observation of the diverse sensual phenomena that surrounds me. The variety of interactions between forms such as contrast, imbalance, balance or synchronicity, have the potential to evoke various aspects of being: vulnerability, uncertainty, confidence, and determination. Possible interactions between shapes and spaces are what intrigue me most. Recently, I expanded the investigation of form to include objects and consideration of space. As the scale of my paintings and drawings grew, I became interested in the effects of three-dimensional objects in a space, such as a gallery. My inquiry …

The lack of ancestral record instilled in me this desire to hold on to memories, and to leave my children with permanent records or memories of our family. My desire to work with metals was inspired by the need to encapsulate a record of memories through a more permanent means. The durability of steel, I feel, can be used as a diary, in the form of an artistic and lasting object, rather than written words. The need to leave behind a legacy inspired me to explore the use of lockets and containers that have some resemblance to a reliquary. My intent was not one of religious purpose, but rather to create a locket or container that would reflect or contain symbols of where one's roots begin, the home.

In an effort to continue the conceptual and aesthetic growth started in graduate school, I have produced a body of work dealing with the relation between the fragmentation of the figure and the self-perception of beauty. I produced twelve prints that have been exhibited at Cora Stafford Gallery. I have analyzed the body of work conceptually and formally and chose to discuss six pieces in a problem- in lieu-of-thesis. My work and book references informed the content of the paper. I divided it into three chapters; Introduction, Description of the Work, and the Conclusion. Within the body of the paper the paragraphs are sectioned into descriptions, methodology and intent of the six pieces. I went into detail of the process and content and addressed the questions posted in the Statement of Problem.

This qualitative action research study examines how critical theory defined and guided my practice as an art teacher educator while I provided inclusion training for seven preservice art teachers during their student teaching. Sources of data included a personal journal, the inclusion curriculum I created for the preservice teachers and questionnaires and interviews. Primary findings indicated that critical theory had a substantive impact on the evolving development of my teaching philosophy, in particular my attention to issues of power redistribution in the classroom and my developing notion of teaching as form of artistry. The findings of this study also indicate that the primary impact of critical theory upon the preservice teachers was the articulation of their personal narratives and its relation to the development of their teaching identities. Further, mentoring these preservice art teachers in critical theory increased their competence in solving educational dilemmas. A primary finding of this study was how significant of a role the supervising or mentor teacher plays in developing preservice teachers' identity. As this is acknowledged, valued and utilized, more collaborative relationships among these stakeholders in the education of the preservice art teacher can be forged. The study provides implications for art teacher educators as …

This thesis is an investigation of the way in which the painter May Stevens (b. 1924) synthesizes her personal experiences and political philosophy to form complex and enduring works of art. Primary data was accumulated through an extended interview with May Stevens and by examining her works on exhibit in New York and Boston. An analysis of selected works from her "Big Daddy" and "Ordinary/Extraordinary" series revealed how her personal feelings about her own family became entwined with larger political issues. As an important member of the feminist art movement that evolved during the 1970s, she celebrated this new kinship among women in paintings that also explored the contradictions in their lives. In more recent work she has explored complex social issues such as teenage prostitution, sexism, and child abuse in a variety of artistic styles and media. This study investigates how May Stevens continues to portray issues of international significance in works that consistently engage the viewer on a personal, almost visceral level.

This thesis analyzes the destruction of imagery dedicated to Saint Thomas Becket in order to investigate the nature of sixteenth-century iconoclasm in Reformation England. In doing so, it also considers the veneration of images during the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Research involved examining medieval and sixteenth-century historical studies concerning Becket's life and cult, anti-Becket sentiment prior to the sixteenth century, and the political circumstances in England that led to the destruction of shrines and imagery. This study provides insight into the ways in which religious images could carry multifaceted, ideological significance that represented diversified ideas for varying social strata--royal, ecclesiastical and lay.

This thesis examines the roles of the sublime and the beautiful in the works of eighteenth-century French landscape painter Claude-Joseph Vernet. An introduction to the study, a history of the sublime and beautiful, and an overview of the way these ideas are portrayed in Vernet's calm and storm pendants are provided. How commissions for these pendants relate to theoretical developments of the sublime and beautiful and how Vernet became aware of the these ideas are addressed. The thesis shows Vernet was not dependent on British patrons or on the century's most influential aesthetic treatise on the sublime and the beautiful by Edmund Burke, because Vernet started painting such themes well before Burke's treatise (1757) and did so in response to French patrons.

I wanted to see if I could affect the "unknown" by attempting to steer the subconscious. I kept a journal of events going on in my life, dreams, therapy sessions, or ideas for songs or short stories. In my studio, I kept a running list of ideas for titles of songs, stories, or paintings. In addition to this, I recorded narrative or metaphoric ideas that the paintings presented on the search for the final painting.

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility of developing an art curriculum in Qatar, using the principles of the DBAE curriculum in conjunction with technology. Many of the challenges facing art educators and the art curriculum in Qatar can be approached through the multimedia applications of DBAE, which will provide instructors and students with an opportunity to more readily interact with visual art and to discover its educational relevance. Additionally, this study attempted to discover whether teachers are engaged in implementing technology in the art classroom and whether they are given the opportunity to engage in art to their satisfaction.

The interaction of the construction and the images was the focus of my proposed exploration. Previously, I viewed the images as the vehicle for content with little thought to the construction. I thought of the construction as a painter might think of his or her canvas, a place for the images to reside. The relationship between constructions as part of my content is essential. Exploration of form and image will push the limits of how the images and constructions may interact. Now that I was conscious of the construction being included in the content, I wanted to discover how the ideation process would change. I was also hoping to determine how the imagery would be affected by the redirection of my decision making process concerning the construction as part of the content.

I intend to explore various canvas sizes and many formal issues, focusing on space and the application of paint are paramount in my work. I used closely cropped photographs to aid in this study and my exploration addressed the following questions: 1) How does the speed of execution affect the spontaneity and authority of the piece? 2) How important is the unexpected for the success of my painting in regards to formal issues?

Through this study I intended to analyze and determine the significance of the recurring imagery that emerged as an integral part of my compositions. Furthermore, I attempted to discern the importance and over all the effects of the small scale upon my work and determine how vital is the spontaneity that is used to obtain each composition.

To emphasize the preciousness of these tools, I envisioned object-specific carrying cases, like a violin case or my grandmother's china cabinet. The object-specific case or cabinet is, like the tool it houses, special and singular inits utility and serves to underscore the ceremonial nature of the tool. Of all the examples of object-specific environments I've looked at, most have been constructed of fine woods; many have also been either covered or lined with various skins, silk, or velvet to reflect the preciousness of their contents.

My work has developed to the point where it exists within the grey area between painting and sculpture. These hybrid works necessitate the transition from creating objects to that work singularly to installations of various works that operate as a whole. The purpose of this study is to identify successful methods of making this transition through the use of the computer. The computer should provide new strategies to integrate sculpture and painting into a hybrid form.

Although clay has been used throughout history as an embellishment of architectural structures, clay elements have usually remained subordinate to existing architectural forms. Three-dimensional ceramic modules which divided an existing space, altered or obscured architectural forms, and intersected with or penetrated established planes provided a greater interaction between clay and architecture. I explored the use of clay as an integral three-dimensional element which interacted with an architectural space, rather than merely surfacing it. Because the installation of these works was temporary, methods of connecting the clay elements to the architecture were also investigated.

a. How does the use of different materials such as string, screen, fabric or wire personalize the work? b. How does the addition of subtly recognizable imagery change the reductive field? c. How do processes such as wrapping, printing, dripping, and other techniques infer meaning? d. How does the choice of color and scale affect the work?

The purpose of this research was to develop a body of work which exhibited unity between form and surface, but which relied upon a combination of deliberate intent (specific form, glaze, firing temperature, etc.) and the occurrence of random accident to achieve this unity. The project dealt with the integration of altered wheel-thrown and hand-built organic clay forms with a variety of surface treatments. The firing/glazing techniques chosen (which included cone 9 reduction firing, raku firing, and saggar firing) could be controlled to some degree. However, even minor differences in glaze and/or firing treatments evolved through a variety of chance incidents into marked differences in the finished piece.