Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Date

2022

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Fine Arts

Department

Art

Committee Chair

Kate Roberts

Committee Member

Richard Lou

Committee Member

Lisa Williamson

Committee Member

Lucienne Auz

Abstract

Through the use of personal place and memory, the artist fosters environments in the gallery to navigate healing from trauma. By cultivating this type of space, survivors of trauma can begin to dissect and navigate through imagery of another survivor in order to visualize ways in which to navigate their own. The artist, Tawny Skye, begins to explore this route by recreating her bedroom in a public gallery. Inviting others to openly gaze at her work, she is bearing her trauma for the audience without directly triggering them with the graphic imagery which is known to cause discomfort, panic attacks, and even flashbacks. She sees avoiding these triggers for her audience as significant as anything else in the #metoo conversation. This work begins to find ways for survivors to openly discuss experiences of sexual assault without further harm. Influenced by the works of Suzanne Lacy, Liza Lou, Tracy Emin, and ancient feminine sculptures, Tawny is using personalized visual imagery to convey emotional navigation, intimacy, and trauma healing. Landscape sculptures serve as reliquaries for her story in combination with paintings in which she alters her body in reference to the process of healing from trauma.

Comments

Data is provided by the student.

Library Comment

Dissertation or thesis originally submitted to ProQuest.

Notes

Open Access

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