First Advisor

Elizabeth Mead

Term of Graduation

Spring 1996

Date of Publication

5-22-1996

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Fine Arts (MFA)

Department

Art

Language

English

Subjects

Feminism in art, Grids (Cartography) in art

DOI

10.15760/etd.7096

Physical Description

1 online resource (21 pages)

Abstract

'Feminine Rhyme' is a sequence of objects and paintings that resonate with women's experience in contemporary culture. The components I have used are: the structure of the grid, aggressive surface handling, and language derived from text. I have reconfigured these elements to direct the viewer in exploring layers of information that can be viewed in fragments as well as understood within the containment of a sound whole.

I have explored the relationship of gender identity in our culture, and the role women play in association to masculine power. Through repetitive use of the grid, combined with isolated words and images, I have created paintings that can be read either in a formal manner through the use of structure and materials that are visually pleasing, or in context to a visual dialogue of contemporary gender myths.

By fragmenting text in the form of torn book pages, I have altered and personalized the order, lending weight to chaos. Words become a form of mark making, a lyrical device to be read at random. I have obscured the imagery by hiding the text, leaving only scattered bits of information. These bits are derived from a 'therapeutic model' found in self help books, diet books and romance novels which exploit "feminism" as a commodity, serve as cultural documents, and influence women as to how they should perceive their bodies, their minds, their freedom.

The end result is a visual interplay of form and color within the context of personal testimony and societal conditioning of the female experience in contemporary culture.

Rights

In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).

Comments

If you are the rightful copyright holder of this dissertation or thesis and wish to have it removed from the Open Access Collection, please submit a request to pdxscholar@pdx.edu and include clear identification of the work, preferably with URL.

Persistent Identifier

https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/30184

Download

Included in

Fine Arts Commons

Share

COinS