During the years following the First World War, and until the consolidation of the Nazi party, paintings and drawings of nude murdered and butchered women proliferated in the German art galleries and avant-garde publications of the Weimar Republic. Lustmord, a term derived from criminology and psychology, was the label assigned to such works, and the representation of the lust-murder of women by men became curiously ubiquitous in Weimar culture. Although previous scholarship has tended to treat Lustmord art homogonously, in this thesis I argue that these works must be considered individually to grasp the varying meaning of Lustmord to Weimar artists and audiences. My study surveys the transformation of Lustmord from a crime to an artistic genre, then looks specifically at two paintings: Der Kleine Frauenmörder by George Grosz (1893-1959) and Der Lustmörder (Selbstporträt) by Otto Dix (1891-1969). I argue that despite the shared subject matter, and compositional and temporal parallels of Der Kleine Frauenmörder and Der Lustmörder (Selbstporträt), the two paintings have meaning beyond that generically attributed to Lustmord art. The separate meanings that can be culled from these works speak specifically to the circumstances and intentions of the artists who created them, and offer insight to the multivalence of Lustmord in Weimar society. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of Art History in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts. / Spring Semester, 2010. / April 1, 2010. / Dada, New Woman, Berlin, Neue Sachlichkeit, Erich Wulffen, Otto Dix, George Grosz / Includes bibliographical references. / Adam Jolles, Professor Directing Thesis; Michael D. Carrasco, Committee Member; Lauren S. Weingarden, Committee Member.

The Ambrosian Iliad is a Late Antique manuscript that depicts Homer's Iliad. Originally written in Greek, much of its text was lost when the pictures were later removed from the original codex and pasted on separate sheets of vellum. Scholars have previously analyzed the Ambrosian Iliad using paleographic and stylistic analysis as a means to determine the work's provenance and date with wide ranging results. This study takes a different approach to the Ambrosian Iliad by applying contextual analysis when taking into account historical, social, and religious influences on the making and viewing of the manuscript. Particular attention is paid to the distinctly Late Antique Roman iconography that pervades the Ambrosian Iliad's imagery. The fifth-century reception of its imagery and how it contributed to the elite's self-definition of its status and place in a time of great change is the focus of this dissertation. Ultimately, this approach will contribute to the discourse by suggesting the use of the alternative methodology of contextuality to ascertain the dates and provenances for Late Antique manuscripts including the Ambrosian Iliad. Focusing on the Ambrosian Iliad's depiction of pagan sacrifices, circus games, and military battles, I propose that its mixture of antiquarian and contemporary iconography acted as reflections of the viewers' world view in the fifth century. These particular activities were connected to the mos maiorum and were a reminder and confirmation of the elite's purpose of protecting tradition. Based on primary sources during this period, it is evident that there was no other area of the Roman Empire where patricians were more driven to preserve the mos maiorum than in Rome or the surrounding areas. Moreover, the Ambrosian Iliad also spoke to the Christian viewer with its subtle reminders of their religion with its references to communal banqueting and the role of the Church in such popular activities as the circus. Finally, this study will propose that the Ambrosian Iliad was created sometime during the second through third quarters of the fifth century for a patron in the area of Rome. / A Dissertation Submitted to the Department of Art History in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester, 2009. / March 2, 2009. / Ambrosian lliad, Manuscript, Late Antique, Homer, Iliad / Includes bibliographical references. / Paula Gerson, Professor Directing Dissertation; Francis Cairns, Outside Committee Member; Nancy T. de Grummond, Committee Member; Rick Emmerson, Committee Member.

The mortgage lending crisis of 2008 in the United States has become a major political and social issue (Reuters, 2008). Within this dilemma are two specific problems which may be solved to mutual benefit. First, there is an abundance of empty homes on the market; and second, there are people who cannot qualify to buy acceptable housing due to stricter lending standards. Specifically, this study will address the need for affordable housing and the concurrent problem of empty 'McMansions', a dwelling type increasingly available due to the current mortgage crisis. In an effort to provide a solution to the housing crisis for various population groups, three different residential designs will be designed within a McMansion, with one unit each designed specifically for seniors, small families, and young professionals. Each will incorporate design features that seek to promote community, mutual support amongst the residents, and principles of sustainability. The McMansion to be repurposed will be located in a suburban area of Washington, D.C. where the cost of housing is especially expensive. As this is not yet a familiar housing solution, opposition to the project design is anticipated. This presents challenges to provide both affordable housing options as well as solve the issue of vacant homes across the country. Further, this study's proposal for congregate, mutually supportive living may also offer social benefits for certain types of persons in western culture. These groups include the elderly, families with young children, and young professionals who have yet to achieve full financial stability. Several design solutions will be presented that will utilize vacant houses and turn them into affordable homes while also facilitating community interaction and sustainability. The design will take advantage of sustainable aspects such as higher-density living, mass transportation, and proximity to local necessities. It proposes to accomplish this by using existing housing stock, and specifically the particular type of house some sources have derided as 'McMansions', or dwellings which are larger than the average 2,500 square foot home, generic in style and packed in close together on insufficiently-sized lots (Smith, 2007). This repurposing also serves to make timely use of existing dwellings (which themselves use considerable natural resources to construct) in a different way, thus avoiding the unnecessary construction of further dwellings. Additionally, the design will seek to encourage interaction among residents, sustainability within the living environment, and a sense of community. To accomplish this, a congregate living structure will be created from an existing single-family home providing private residences as well as communal facilities. The common areas within the structure will encourage residents to interact with one another by providing spaces for neighbors to meet both casually and intentionally. A communal kitchen and dining area will be provided to encourage planned meals and gatherings. Also, shared laundry facilities, an exercise room, and lounge will support casual meetings between residents. The common areas will promote interaction by providing group seating areas and specialized spaces that will allow the residents to interrelate, permitting enhanced mutual reliance. Shared concerns such as childcare (small families), health and wellbeing (the elderly), and similar preferences in entertaining (young professionals) may benefit all residents. Thus, the individual dwellings will provide the amenities expected within a single-family home while also allowing the residents to be part of a community without having to leave the structure. The dwelling will remain similar to the surrounding homes in appearance, maintaining the relationship with the community and minimizing disruption of the visual nature of the neighborhood. The interior of the residence will be modified to accommodate the specific needs of the three groups of prospective residents / A Thesis submitted to the Department of Interior Design in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. / Fall Semester, 2008. / October 14, 2008. / Small Families, Young Professionals, Seniors, Cohousing, Sustainability, Congregate Living, Sustainable Design, Interior Design, Housing, High-Density Living, Mutually Supportive Living, Special Needs, Vacant Homes, Communal Kitchen, Repurpose, McMansion, Community, Space Planning, Intentional Community, Suburbs, Housing Conditions, Mortgage Lending Crisis / Includes bibliographical references. / Jill Pable, Professor Directing Thesis; Eric Wiedegreen, Committee Member; Tock Ohazama, Committee Member.

Children today, as with most people in our society, are inundated with a constant barrage of advertisements. This study first looked at how a specific group of adolescents view, interpret and use messages from advertising in their daily routines. Then a unit plan was developed and implemented to educate students on how to consider and process messages from ads for critical awareness. This was used to bring to light what messages specific advertisements are trying to convey and to give students a strategy in order to understand advertisers' deeper, hidden meanings. The study began with initial observations of the classroom setting, the teacher, and the students in an effort to understand classroom dynamics. A unit plan was then implemented based on curriculum strategies suggested in the review of literature by Anderson (1997), Nadaner (1985), Barthes (1977), and Kehl (1983). This study incorporated an single group pre and post test design in order to achieve its goals. Strategies and instruments included conversations, interviews of selected students, a field journal, implementation of a specific model, and a questionnaire in the form of a pre and post test. The post tests showed that students who participated in this study exhibited little change following the unit plan. While they recognized the denoted content, superficial reasons, and means of advertising they mostly missed the deep/connoted content and structure. However the daily critical discussions centered on the critique of advertisements suggested some development of the students' ability read more deeply into ads' purposes, means, and content. Since students themselves chose the ads to be critiques, together, these two findings suggest that students bonded to products through advertisements in a way that is objectively difficult for them to see or affect. Their identities may be intertwined with the products and product representations they chose. If this is this, in turn, suggests the depth that advertising is infused in these children's consciousness and indicates that a six week treatment is inadequate for countering this pervasive influence. The implication for art education, in teaching advertising as visual culture, is that in-depth instruction of the connotative content of advertising may be necessary to bring that connotative content to the surface. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Art Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester, 2006. / February 1, 2006. / Middle School Students, In School Marketing, Advertising / Includes bibliographical references. / Tom Anderson, Professor Directing Dissertation; Emanuel Israel Shargel, 1936-, Outside Committee Member; Marcia Rosal, Committee Member; David Gussak, Committee Member.

This is a terminal project report containing the work of Kanetaka Ikeda submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a degree of Master of Fine Arts in Sculpture.

This thesis is a visual documentation of my story. In it, I discuss the urgency which drives the creation of my work. Unable to speak the same language, my grandmother and I used food and paint as means of communication, thus instilling my love of food, my desire to paint, and my need to investigate my Cuban culture. As a former professional pastry chef, my understanding of the physicality of food informs how it is portrayed on a two-dimensional surface for visual indulgence. I explore loss, objectification, transculturation, and the pandemic through images of food, while experimenting with the properties of paint.

I create wooden and metal sculptures that are abstractions of old memories that examine, celebrate, and embody my rural culture, upbringing, and heritage. I aim to honor my family's memory and keep their passion for craft alive through working with the tools that have been passed down from them. When I find myself struggling in life I always look to my personal history to find answers. I am reminded of my family's rural and military backgrounds and of the tradespeople from my family: carpenters, blacksmiths, farmers, and soldiers. Through their chosen trades and tools, generations from my family were able to create order and meaning in their own lives. Now that I have inherited their tools, I use them to create art that helps me make sense of my life and world. I learned to use the woodworking and metalworking tools that were passed down to me by family members from current and prior generations. I use these utilitarian tools to create sculptures that serve as honest representations of myself and my family. I also learned that the work I create does not have to be a literal representation of my memories. Rather, through the process of using tools passed down to me from family members, the memories are inherent in my actions and transferred into my work products. These are among the primary observations that underlie the artifacts and achievements that emerged during my graduate studies and will shape the frame of this paper.

My body of work includes five series of paintings: Family Portrait, Unpacked, Corners, Fractured Spaces, and Day to Day. Throughout the creation of this body of work, I have explored and implemented various techniques to create paintings that suggest an intuitive sense of time and place. These paintings aim to convey the experience of domestic space from multiple points of view, depicting imagery that reflects the dependability of the mundane and the daily experiences of cohabitation. My thinking and methods are informed by the writings of Sam Harris, J. Macgregor Wise, Rosalind Krauss, and Jordan Wolfson, as well as the paintings of Richard Diebenkorn, Henri Matisse, Paul Cezanne, and David Hockney. My work is a meditation on how small moments in our lives reveal that which is essential and meaningful.

This thesis explores the importance of oneself through sexuality, context, and introspection in the art of book arts. I work with memories, imagination, and consciousness in the form of book arts to express the importance of the self from my personal experience. Through the use of colors, materials, spatial compositions, and other visual components to manifest the content of my art, I want to illuminate the awareness of otherness including gender issues and an individual's vulnerability. Playing with the texts of Chinese and English, I intend to create narratives with languages, images, and other mixed media. In addition to crafting traditional bound books with handmade paper and assembling sculptural book-like objects, I also expand the idea of a book into space. With my books, I share my experience of being a loner, yet solitude helps me to be my better self. Through sharing my personal stories, I hope to invite my audience to empathize themselves with their sympathy and invoke a sense of the importance of the self.

This thesis examines the concepts and ideas that pervade my body of work in painting. These concepts include immersion and scale, interactions in space, harmony and disunity, flat and dimensional space and perhaps most importantly, ambiguity. I intentionally use these formal devices to create immersive environments that appear as a familiar but skewed version of reality. By forcing together disparate languages of visual representation into the theoretical space of a painting, I strive to expose some of the humor and decay of our social institutions. In using the format of collage, my paintings have the opportunity to incorporate a wide array of iconography and imagery, while adding commentary through their juxtapositions. This thesis further explores the notion of oversaturation of images in media and how it has resulted in a clashing of imagery in the public space, akin to the format of collage in art-making. By using more easily readable or accessible iconography like cartoons or digital images to draw viewers in to the work on a visceral level, I discuss how the audience becomes witness to something sinister or something in the process of decay. Since I do not fully understand my own position as an artist and consumer of images, painting serves as a way to examine and question my relationship to society and culture as a whole. The artworks are inevitably questions in themselves: Who is to blame? What does it mean to be American? What is my duty as an artist?