Subject Area

Art, Art History/Criticism/Conservation, Humanities, Philosophy

Abstract

This thesis explores the dynamic interplay between consciousness and unconsciousness and how this relationship influences visual language in my art practice. My research investigates how unconscious impulses and conscious choices intersect in the creative process, shaping artistic expression and viewer interpretation. I examine how visual art can serve as a medium through which hidden emotional and psychological states, such as memory, desire, and internal conflict, emerge and take form. Rooted in the practice of automatism and influenced by Surrealist strategies, my work engages with theories by Jacques Lacan, particularly his notion of the gaze, and Gilles Deleuze’s concepts of extraction and isolation. These theoretical frameworks have guided my response to visual repetition and unconscious copying. My art seeks to make visible what often remains hidden and to disrupt habitual ways of seeing, encouraging audiences to reconsider what they perceive as familiar. Ultimately, this thesis offers a deeper inquiry into how visual art can be a powerful tool for accessing unconscious content and opening new possibilities for self-reflection and psychological understanding.

Degree Date

Spring 5-5-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.F.A.

Department

Division of Art

Advisor

Philip Van Keuren

Second Advisor

Ian Grieve

Third Advisor

Kerry Maguire

Number of Pages

35

Format

.pdf

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License

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