I proposed a multi-media, multi-genre project that combined visual art, creative nonfiction, poetry, and creative work. Formatted magazine-style, this work began with an invitation to a dinner that I hosted. I envisioned the dinner as a piece of performance art. That is, my guests were writers and artists, and responded to the experience of the dinner throughout the evening. In experimenting with art, words, food, and artists, I wanted to see both the process and the product, how they work by pulling out memory and emotion tied to food. Food and memory work this way. Food and art work this way. Words and art work this way. There are connections everywhere. French poet, playwright, and surrealist artist, Jacques Prevert said once that, "Taking a walk, making a movie, writing a poem...there is no difference." How right. Eating, painting, loving, writing—the beautiful things in life...there is no difference. / Department of English

The Transmittance Device was an architectural installation, constructed as an imposition upon a public evergreen hedge row. The premise behind this exploration was to exploit architecture as a sequence of dynamic human experiences, creating an event or incident. The intention was to initiate a human transfer or violation from one side of a presumed boundary or barrier, to the opposite side. The boundary or barrier metaphorically represented the inherent characteristics human's possess, concerning abidement and conformity, within their normalities of regulated habit.The evolution process included theoretical conception, analysis of past installations, development of objectives, and four proposed projects. The final proposed Device was constructed in September, 1992, adjacent to the Fine Arts Building, on the campus of Ball State University. The Transmittance Device stood for over three weeks, instigating human engagement. The thesis document presents my collection of information gained, questions posed, and aspirations evoked, throughout the process of this exploration.This workbook documents the evolution process of the Transmittance Device. The Transmittance Device is an installation which exploits architecture as an event or incident, occurring as a human participates. Also, it is a construction which attempts to fuse the separation between architecture and sculpture. The document is not to be read as a conclusive narrative, but rather, a working text. The information is compiled in three general sections: architecture, installations, and the Transmittance Device, respectively chronological. The majority of the information presented was collected as scribbled notes, sketches, and study models produced throughout the nine month process (February to November, 1992.) The presentation of the constructed Device IV is presented with process sketches, scaled drawings, and photographs of the built construction. My aspirations are to continue this exploration, building upon the workbook, to never reach an end. / Department of Architecture

There is no abstract available for this thesis.

The performance of my opera/art installation, Ariadne, on April 2 and 4, 1993, in Recital Hall, culminated a year of research, composition, production, and rehearsal upon the Ariadne Project, an interdisciplinary art collaboration. My project brought together the research, creative, and performance skills of many individuals throughout the university community and beyond. Designed as a companion paper to this composition and performance, this paper documents the inception, creation, production, and performance of the Ariadne Project. It also addresses the issues and sources dealt with and assessess the effectiveness of the product and the process. / Department of Art

The main goal of this project is to design the experience of motion along a mixed-use arterial roadway as a work of art. The research component of this project proposes to determine the influences on the experience of traveling along a road, the key components of environmental art, and how these can be combined to enhance the driving experience. This project will focus on the section of McGalliard Road from Morrison Road to Walnut Street, in Muncie, Indiana.McGalliard Road is one of Muncie's most heavily traveled roads. If one examines its length, the unorganized fashion in which the street has developed is readily apparent. Different and often conflicting uses are scattered up and down the road, in a spectrum ranging from rural/ agricultural to residential to commercial. The result is a confusing sequence of buildings and spaces with little or no focus. Thousands of people use roads similar to McGalliard in their everyday life. Generally the experience of driving these roads is mundane, involving countless parking lots, stores, and chain restaurants. By utilizing the principles of environmental art in the redesign of the experience of a mixed-use arterial roadway, the user's experiences can be greatly enhanced and the road can be infused with a new identity and meaning with which peoplecan identify and take pride.The user's experience of a mixed-use arterial roadway is the main issue I plan to examine in this project. When driving on a highway the sense of motion, space, and sequence is dominant. These sensations are most affected by objects passing overhead and near the roadside (Appleyard, 1966). The primary objects in the user's view are signs, telephone poles, and other vehicles, with nearly nothing overhead.Roads are an integral component of a city's fabric, one of its most intensely used public spaces, which provide linkages between different parts of a city (Moughtin, 1992). A successful road is one that captures the attention of its user. Without this, the user's attention can begin to wander and the experience becomes uninteresting. McGalliard Road has little to catch or hold the user's attention. The nearby surroundings consist mainly of signs, large parking lots, or buildings set far back from the street with nothing to focus the driver's attention. In redesigning the experience a user has while traveling along McGalliard Road, it is important to work with these elements in the near roadside environment, utilizing their attributes in the creation of an experiential work of art.Art has the potential to add another layer to the experience of the landscape, instilling it with new meaning. Works of environmental art are bound to their site and take a large part of their content from the relationship they have with the characteristics of their surrounding sites (Beardsley, 1998), thus drawing meaning directly from the surrounding landscape and culture. Ultimately the success of a city depends on the success of its roads. Art can enhance both the experience of a road, city, and the lives of its citizens. Integrating commercialism, art, and the driving experience, the designer can create a unique experience in which the user is an integral component in the design. / Department of Landscape Architecture