Electronic Theses and Dissertations

sophia mason

Date

2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Fine Arts

Department

Art

Committee Chair

Coe Lapossey

Committee Member

Lisa Williamson

Committee Member

Richard Lou

Abstract

Of Plural Worlds employs installation, soft sculpture, and drawing to visually demonstrate white colonial narratives in Mormonism (The Church of Jesus-Christ of Latter-day Saints) since the mid-1800s. The work uses a museum context as a way “into” the work and to talk about whiteness embedded in institutions. The museum installation however is funny; fabric sculptures won't fool anyone as "real" museum displays. The whole show traffics in obvious theatrical role play. The research is grounded in art theory, performance theory, Institutional Critique and scientific reports to create a space where viewers (especially white viewers) might experience the colonial tendency toward creating false narratives. Materially, Of Plural Worlds uses installation to create a museum exhibit that exposes false narratives and points to the artist’s desire to build a false narrative to situate her ancestry in a progressive, feminist history. Here American Mormonism stands in as a niche, white, subculture. The conclusion of the work points to the false narratives of white neutrality present throughout institutions and the ways white performance builds identity.

Comments

Data is provided by the student.

Library Comment

PDF

Notes

Open access.

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