My Thesis Proposal (In Progress)

1. The area I would like to focus on for my thesis research is the historical changes for how art is to be experienced in a museum/ gallery. I would like to look into movements of art becoming more interactive - like touching instead of just looking at pieces.

2. I have not yet researched who the pioneer artists were on this topic but was very inspired by “Plâtre à toucher chez de Zayas” by Edith Clifford Williams when we took a look at it last semester as well as a few other artists that also encouraged people to touch and some even partake in their works/performance art.

3. My project is a installation meant for a gallery but also a bit of a live performance piece as well. For technology I will need to get large flat screen wall mounted TVs that have a USB slot.

4. My project idea is to create a double layered series of paintings with the theme of the negative impacts humans have had on wildlife / their environments. The bottom layer will be a digital painting displayed on the TV screen, this will be the "negative" image and the result / after effect that humans have had. I plan to use lots of cool tones that coming through the tv screen will feel hopefully lifeless and cold. The top painting will be a traditional acrylic mixture painting of a happy / healthy wildlife and be painted with warmer tones. The idea is that the viewers will be encouraged to peel/chip away the top painting to reveal the image underneath. Once this is done there is no returning to the happy painting, humans have destroyed it, and it is gone. I hope to bring awareness to the ways we are negatively impacting Earth.

The way this will tie into my thesis paper topic is going against the typical rules and standards of how you are suppose to interact with a painting in a art show/ gallery/ museum. You are typically yelled at or watched closely even if you just point to close to the painting, definitely no touching allowed, and the idea of destroying it forever? I really hope to challenge the rules and also make visitors a little uncomfortable. The image that they reveal will be sad and disturbing, the one they destroy hopefully nice and beautiful. I think people will have fun peeling the paint but I also hope to have people cringing, and am looking forward to seeing the reactions of others who may not understand what is going on watching people destroy my work.

5. My planned presentation for my thesis project is to have the paintings look like nice framed traditional paintings on the wall in a gallery like setting, and then once destroyed to reveal the tv screen with its eerie and cold digital painting. For some extra drama I was thinking it would be cool if somehow once it was chipped electronic cords would drop down from the frame.

6. 4 major milestones for this semester for me will be getting 4 of the six paintings completed. That way next semester I can focus on finishing them up and building their frames.

7.As far as my studio team I am hoping to include a web/flash version of the experience to give it a longer life and so people who did not see it happen on person can at least get an idea of what my project was. This would require a programer, and web designer. I also considered making some sort of documentary or recording of the process so it can be watched in the future as well.