It is my purpose in this thesis to explore supergraphics ln the Portland area. I intend this thesis to be used as a source book for teachers wishing to implement supergraphics programs in their schools. I plan to divide my thesis into _ two areas: First, a survey of supergraphics in the Portland environment, and second, ' a survey of Portland area schools that have implemented supergraphlc projects or programs. A substantial portion of the information compiled for this thesis comes from conversations with Portland area graphic designers, architects and teachers. I have included photographs of what I consider to be good examples of Portland area supergraphics. It is my hope that this thesis will be a valuable source of information for teachers who are interested in beginning a supergraphics program in their schools.

This thesis is in support of the exhibition entitled Getting Warmer, on display in Slocumb Galleries at East Tennessee State University from March 19 to March 23, 2007. The exhibition represents an exploration in the medium of fibers, incorporating digitally printed photographs on fabric and quilted structures. The collage of photographic textures and the stitched lines of machine embroidery reflect the artist's interest in the formal qualities of mapmaking and topography. Conceptually, the work is concerned with the idea of material as landscape and artwork as personal geography. This thesis addresses the artistic and cultural influences, the artistic process and previous works, and the conceptual development of the work.

For my thesis project, I displayed fifteen printed photographs of self-portraits that I have made outside of class. In these self-portraits, I have applied special effects makeup to my face to create different portrayals of myself. These range from more abstracted makeup to characters. The majority of these makeups are from the chest up and created with face paint and self-made prosthetics. In this imagery, I have also chosen accessories and the background to coincide with the makeup and the mood that I am conveying. Minor adjustments have been made digitally in order to enhance how the image comes across. For example, I have upped the contrast and dimmed the exposure, etc. I have taken most of my own photographs on my phone or Canon Rebel Xi camera while there are a few that a family member has taken for me. I printed these portraits at a larger than life scale and I chose to display them at a place that has become close to home, O’mainnin’s Pub and Grill. This pub is where I held my show. My art was displayed in the casual environment with loud music and dim colorful lights. The exhibit stayed up for three days and was available to the public. Alongside my photographs, I also chose a handful of traditional hand-drawn classwork to display as well. This work is very similar in theme and compliments the self-portraits. Below are images of the show!

The photographer discusses work in “Hearing Through Walls”, a Masters of Fine Arts thesis exhibit held at downtown Tipton Gallery from February 19th through March 2nd, 2018. The exhibition consists of 15 archival inkjet prints and one two-channel video piece, representing the artists three-year exploration into narrative forms in image making. Using non-traditional approaches to photographic portraiture and experimental exhibition layout, the artist forms questions around themes of domesticity, lost youth, and American masculinity. Among these themes is an investigation into photographic issues, including the cultural role that photographs play in perpetuating, miming, and disrupting the facades of everyday life. Non-photographic influences are listed, including the paintings of Edward Hopper and the filmmaking of Paul Thomas Anderson. Historic and contemporary photographic influences included are Garry Winogrand, William Eggleston, Philip-Lorca Dicorcia, and Katy Grannan.

Through the use of mixed media, I explore imagery that reveals the trauma of returning combat veterans, of which I am one, as we try to reintegrate into a society that does not understand the war that still lingers within us. In my work, I depict emotional disturbances that are related to my personal encounters with war. My working process starts by referencing mainstream media imagery, which I juxtapose against harsh images inspired by veterans' drug and alcohol use, trauma and death. My black-and-white pixelated paintings feature the fragmented memories of a hostile combat environment, and although "Out of My Mind" depicts the chaotic emotions associated with PTSD, my whimsical style of illustration suggests a detachment from reality. Whether we call it shell shock, battle fatigue or PTSD, the war-related disorder is real. I want society to be aware of the hidden scars that our veterans carry with them. I do not anticipate my subject matter changing any time soon.

A Space In-Between, is a series of works that explores a balance between two radically different cultures that the artist identifies with through visual language. The experience of immigration as an Iranian body in a Western context is investigated through works in sculpture, photography and video. By using the language of materials, the artist explores the diasporic space regarding class, gender, and ethnicity. The practice of creating Iranian designs with American products such as a muqarnas from cigarette cartons from her family’s convenient store in Bessemer, Alabama, or creating a chadorfrom Mossy Oak camouflage, acts as an effort to visualize and harmonize her experience living between Iranian and American culture.

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A written thesis to accompany the M.F.A. Exhibition I Speak as One in Doubt. Blending epistolary format and visionary narrative, the artist addresses her complex relationship to her Catholic upbringing.

The bodies of work that I have created during graduate school stem from my interest in mass media, culture studies and spectatorship in the digital era. My research engages digital technology and media studies to consider the ethics and ambivalence associated with spectatorship. Using traditional art mediums, I explore social and digital media, revealing tensions through representation and materiality. This translation from digital to analogue media is pivotal in all my work. Handmade objects introduce slippage and meaning as they break from the limiting format of the screen. This thesis will explore the research and content that inspired the creation of my work over the past three years and demonstrate how the resulting artworks create content and meaning.