My work is defined by where I reside at the time of its creation. I am interested in exploring my own sense of place based on my curiosity with the unique character and history of my surroundings. The work discussed here is specifically concerned with the landscapes, communities and development practices prevalent throughout the Midwest. In my work I use my own personal experiences with disorientation and dislocation in the various suburban, urban and rural landscapes I encounter in my everyday life and share them with a wider audience. In that way they can place themselves within the ambiguous landscape I choose to depict and recall that it happens everywhere throughout the United States. My work uses combinations of printmaking, drawing, installation, book arts, and video art to express these themes.

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Image makers are often--and rightly--held to task for what they produce. This is a necessary lesson, but the time has come for us to cast a critical eye on the processes that lead up to the creation of that image in the first place, especially as it relates to sustainability and environmental cost. When asking the question of "what does this work say and who is it saying it to?" we must concurrently ask "what is the environmental cost of making this work and is that cost balanced by what it is saying?"

As a result of modern medical practices, our bodies are becoming increasingly transparent. This transparency not only adds to the perceived omnipotence of medicine, but to curiosities with these modes of bodily exploration. Even with this new visibility, many questions remain as curiosity continues.

Artist Statement

This thesis project consists of twenty oil paintings and watercolors. It is a series of visual problems based on work from direct observation as opposed to work from imagination. The concern is to show how the works from observed nature affect the imaginary pieces and how the imaginary works lend unexpected elements to the observed works. With a particular interest in color, visual energy, and painterly form, the project shows how these two avenues of exploration start out separately and eventually blend.

This thesis is for a Master of Fine Arts in Painting and feature the work and words of Patricia Reppenhagen.

This thesis features the work of Carolyn Jeans Mills for a Masters of Fine Arts in Sculpture.

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

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