Annihilation: A BFA Painting Exhibition

Description

This creative project examines identity, autonomy, and social hierarchy by manipulating the traditions and iconography of female figural painting. Female identity and autonomy is often marked by a tense relationship between the self and the body. Socially acceptable self-expression of…

This creative project examines identity, autonomy, and social hierarchy by manipulating the traditions and iconography of female figural painting. Female identity and autonomy is often marked by a tense relationship between the self and the body. Socially acceptable self-expression of one's behavior, body, and desires is strictly regulated within a set of often paradoxical parameters that repress abject, 'animal' behaviors. This series of three paintings reacts to this culture of restraint and repression by exposing the body to nature once more, finding catharsis in annihilation and the destruction of boundaries between the Self and the Other. The human body is depicted as a host for animal life cycles, exploring the duality of creating and supporting life while simultaneously being destroyed. Animals that embody socially unacceptable behaviors are brought crashing back into the human form, reuniting the idealized, contrived female figure with an expressive, imperfect nature and sense of self. Hybridized animal-human relationships in the paintings break down the falsely hierarchical distinction between 'humans' and 'animals' that distances and privileges humanity from that which is considered primitive. By releasing the human body to the uncomplicated consumptive and reproductive forces of ‘trash’ animals in these paintings, the work challenges how the worth of existence is socially defined, instead affirming that all life has some inherent value distinct from its transactional worth to society at large. This celebration of the grotesque shakes off repressive social constructs, offering a unique form of catharsis and agency.

Date Created
2021-12
Agent

The Blind Side of Bulimia: A Painted Dissection of How the Trajectory of Bulimia Nervosa is Perpetuated within Society.

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Description

This project aims to understand how eating disorder psychopathology, specifically with Bulimia Nervosa, is perpetuated, particularly by the unspoken rules of society that inadvertently provoke self -shame and discomfort by promoting a singular mold of beauty. Personally, I want to…

This project aims to understand how eating disorder psychopathology, specifically with Bulimia Nervosa, is perpetuated, particularly by the unspoken rules of society that inadvertently provoke self -shame and discomfort by promoting a singular mold of beauty. Personally, I want to dissect the various psychological components that one faces when falling into this self-destructive disorder through the use of research and visual play. Art is a catalyst in unveiling the complexities of the human condition that are often concealed by those who feel them intimately, which is why it is a necessary means to reveal what is typically kept secret. Granted, it is worth noting that the paintings produced are meant to evoke a specific headspace rather than be a tool for art therapy.

Date Created
2021-05
Agent

Proposal for Bachelor of Fine Art-Art Therapy (BFA-AT) at Arizona State University

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Description
Degree seeking artists require assurance that they will be able to make a difference in the art world, and make a living while impacting others with their art. The balance between a commissioned artist and an art teacher is…

Degree seeking artists require assurance that they will be able to make a difference in the art world, and make a living while impacting others with their art. The balance between a commissioned artist and an art teacher is art therapy; with either employment within medical institutions or a self-employed health-care provider. The Bachelor of Fine Art - Art Therapy Concentration (BFA-AT) degree, though currently not present at ASU, may be obtainable for students seeking a pathway to graduate school. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Projections Department, the specific job opportunities in the field of health-care therapists estimate 21,800 employees nationwide with projections of 33,100 in the year 2028; estimated increase of over 11,000 positions are projected to open within the next eight years. These projections were calculated prior to COVID-19 and must be revisited due to the psychopathology of our nation and the globe. A Major MAPP ( Maricopa To ASU Pathway Program) for first year and transfer students has been outlined in this research paper to assist in enrollment. The American Art Therapy Association (AATA) acknowledges and refers potential students to the universities and colleges offering the BFA-AT programs. Further, if ASU adopts the BFA-AT program, theirs will be the only program in the Western U.S., and third in the Central U.S.—out of 16 nationwide programs.
Date Created
2020-05
Agent

Self-Perception: A Retrospective in Emulation, Imitation, and Women in Art

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Description
Art history, while vast in scope, is a male-dominated topic. Textbooks predominantly feature male artists, and generally when artists look to the “masters,” they look to men. Although the field is becoming more diverse every day, this discrepancy in what…

Art history, while vast in scope, is a male-dominated topic. Textbooks predominantly feature male artists, and generally when artists look to the “masters,” they look to men. Although the field is becoming more diverse every day, this discrepancy in what is taught to young artists can have a profound impact on how and why art is produced. As a young female artist who is focused on my own self-identity and developing a body of work, I look to other women in art, past and present, to orient myself in the context of art history. I am interested in how these women came to terms with their identity in a field that acknowledges them less than their male counterparts, and how their self-perception is reflected in their work. Researching other women in art—for example, how do these artists extrapolate from the world around them to create, and how does their work affect their own self-identity? —has gradually shifted the way I looked at myself. Witnessing other female artists be bold with self-portraiture or brave with their honesty through art has shaped how I view myself and how I want to create art. Through employing self-portraiture in my creative practice, this project aims to utilize my personal experiences and perspectives to contemplate the way I engage with my own identity.
Date Created
2019-05
Agent

Our Creation Stories

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Description
In commemoration of Mother’s Day, the Heard partnered with Creative Push, a multimedia art and oral history project that focuses on the most formative of human experiences: birth. Our Creation Stories is a short film featuring five Native women from…

In commemoration of Mother’s Day, the Heard partnered with Creative Push, a multimedia art and oral history project that focuses on the most formative of human experiences: birth. Our Creation Stories is a short film featuring five Native women from across the Southwest sharing their stories of the changing history, culture, and traditions of birth. A moderated panel discussion followed with Nicolle Gonzales, founder of the Changing Woman Initiative and a certified nurse-midwife, Renee Dennison, artist, and Patrisia Gonzales PhD., author of Red Medicine: Traditional Indigenous Rites of Birthing and Healing.
Date Created
2017-05-03
Agent

Bodyscapes

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Description
Many cultures find connections between humans and nature. Chinese philosophies such as Daoism assert that mountains are sacred beings of cosmic energy. These cosmic beings have elements that coincide with parts of the human body: rocks are bones, water is…

Many cultures find connections between humans and nature. Chinese philosophies such as Daoism assert that mountains are sacred beings of cosmic energy. These cosmic beings have elements that coincide with parts of the human body: rocks are bones, water is blood and veins, trees and grass are hair, clouds and mist are breath, the mountains themselves are the body. "Bodyscapes" is an exploration of these concepts using charcoal and ink to merge the human form with natural landscape.
Date Created
2016-05
Agent
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