When I design an object or a piece of furniture I do it with geometry in my mind. I use simple shapes like squares, rectangles and lines to create forms that then become an object. I organize the shapes in space thinking about the negative and positive space that they create. I also think of how each shape interacts with each other. The overall shape of an object contains other shapes inside, and these shapes create a relationship between each other in space. I also consider how geometry relates to the function of the object. In my designs, geometry and function shape the object. In this essay I describe the design and production process for a cheese tray, a night lamp and a candle holder. I talk about how I used geometry to design each one of these objects and the production process involved.

Every day, I write letters to prisoners. I have done this for years now, and have written literally thousands of letters. Somewhere along the way the correspondence gave birth to an art vision—an aggregation of objects and content that has provided the source material for work that I have been creating since 2013.

When photographed at night these spaces float between necessity and abandonment; reminding us that all we have built could very easily be taken away leaving us with these quiet relics of a time that use to be, but no longer is. In a not-so-distant future these ramps stand as monumental representations of what is to come, soon to exist as monuments to the past. These will be the relics we leave behind, totems of an automotive culture.

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts in Art: Painting.

This thesis is for a Master of Fine Arts in Painting.

A terminal project report submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts in Sculpture.

This thesis is for a Master of Fine Arts in Painting and features the work of Elizabeth Harris.

In this document I shall explain my art process, and reflecting on my work, will explore the themes and emotions that evolved. I shall accompany the images of my MFA exhibition with personal poetic vignettes. These vignettes are memories and thoughts that surfaced both while making the art and while viewing the final exhibition. While the primary experience is looking at and being with my art, I hope these anecdotes and stories give some insight into my motivations and actions as an artist. In these stories I shall use my own voice; I am Scottish and will tend to use local vernacular.

The exhibit, Fabricating Womanhood, was an attempt to explore the construction of gender and identity. While the artwork addressed well researched and documented feminist themes the artwork also stemmed from personal experiences and my coming-of-age process. The resulting installation included video, prints, painting, ceramics and found objects arranged in a set-like house construction of life-size proportions.

This paper is a documentation of and supplement to my thesis project, which is on display in the Harold B. Lee Library Auditorium Gallery from April 2 - May 25, 2012. The seven paintings on display are included in this report are found on the following pages: Leann (18”x 24”) …………………………………………………………..9 Claire (28”x 36”) …………………………………………………………..10 Janell on a Couch (48”x 60”) ……………………………………………..11 My Dad in Winter (84”x 96”) ……………………………………………..13 Mel in Springtime (84”x 96”) ……………………………………………..14 Man on a Horse (48”x 60”) ………………………………………………..15 Danny Holding a Cat by the Ocean (28”x 36”) ……………………….…..15