AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE ARTISTBy Matthew Dale Gamble, Master's of Fine ArtA research statement submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master's of Fine Art at Virginia Commonwealth University.Virginia Commonwealth University, 2005Committee Chair: Ruth Bolduan, Associate Professor Painting and PrintmakingIn this paper I start at the very beginning in my life and introduce the reader to my earliest surroundings, the structure of my family life and the dynamic of the individuals involved. I write about the major points of my youth and continue into adulthood, concluding the first chapter with how I came to be here. I than go into my artistic development, major role models, color theory, writings of interest, and my personal theory on art making. I finish the essay with my personal habits and outlook on my future.

Le relevé intéresse le processus de création, de poïétique artistique et architecturale (ancienne et nouvelle). Le relevé architectural permet de construire de la connaissance à partir d’un terrain propice, celui de la ville de Gabès. Cette recherche vise l’exploration des problématiques potentiellement spécifiques aux différents champs de la topoétique urbaine et architecturale. La ville est actuellement mise en question dans la théorie et la pratique, dans la pensée et la réalité, dans son passé, son présent et son futur même. Je cherche à retrouver le sens, d’habiter aujourd’hui la ville. Il est donc question véritablement de mener une création-recherche dont l’objectif est de mettre en avant la part patrimoniale dans la pratique architecturale dans la ville de Gabès. Je m’interroge sur des questions actuelles de topoétique et que se posent, à nouveau, des questions fondamentales touchant le site, le lieu, la ville et leurs imaginaires. Les parties de la recherche portent sur les relations entre le relevé et certaines questions fondamentales en poïétique: l’invention, la conception et l’innovation. Il s’agit d’une recherche-création: la notion de relevé se trouvant à l’entrecroisement des deux. Une réflexion en situation qui relie entre une démarche scientifique et une pragmatique architecturale et, plus largement artistique. / The statement interests the creation process, of artistic and architectural poietic (old and new). The architectural statement allows to build knowledge starting from a favourable ground, that of the town of Gabes. This research aims at the exploration of the problems that are potentially specific to the various fields from urban and architectural topoetic. The city is currently put into question in the theory and the practice, the thought and reality, in its past and its present and even in its future. I try to find an answer o the question; how o live in the city today. It is, thus, very elementary to carry out a creation-research whose objective is to take into account the patrimonial share in the architectural practice in the town of Gabes. I wonder about some current questions of topoetic that lead us, again, to fundamental questions concerning the site, the place, the city and their imaginaries. The parts of research focus on the relations between the statement (report) and certain fundamental questions in poietic: the invention, design and the innovation. It is about a creation research: the concept of statement being in the intersection of both. A reflection in situation, which relates between a scientific approach and an architectural pragmatic and, is more largely artistic.

The thesis called "Expert proofs" deals with one of the types of proper evidence which is applied in cases when an expert report is necessary to clarify facts important for criminal trial proceedings. Thesis is divided into 5 basic chapters. The first chapter is introductory and talks about some of the general problems of expert laws - evaluation of the current legal regulations of expert's function - expert law and expert ordinance, especially from the point of view of the changes that these legal regulations have undergone as well as the forthcoming changes in the form of updating of the current law and preparation of a brand new law. It also talks about definition of an expert, especially the difference between a witness and a consultant, then briefly about their rights and duties in the criminal trial proceedings in general. The second chapter deals with the presence of an expert explicitly in criminal trial proceedings and is divided into three parts. The first one provides basic information about admitting an expert and its form. The second one concerns the definition of an expert's assignment and the third one concerns preparation of an expert report, in which the expert familiarizes themselves with the criminal case. The third chapter deals with the actual output of an expert's investigation, its...

Interrogation Tactics The aim of my diploma thesis is to provide an overview of methods of interrogation. The topic Interrogation Tactics is very broad, so I am especially focusing on the use of tactical procedures in a situation when the person is not willing to testify truthfully. The thesis is split into 5 key chapters, each of those attempts to summarize the most essential issues within the relevant field. The first part of this work outlines general aspects and also analyzes problems of examination and statement. This chapter introduces characteristics, definition and representation of interrogation and its legal background. Complete concept of the most common kinds of examinations are also described here. In order to satisfy the objective of examination, i.e. to get knowledge of relevant facts, thorough and accurate preparation is necessary. Otherwise the examination may not fulfill its task successfully. I focus on that in the second part of this thesis. In the third chapter called "Interrogation Tactics" I concentrate on the actual practice of interrogation tactics. Attention is paid to the general construction of questioning, i.e. its consecutive phases, and various individual situations that may occur during the interrogation are also discussed. This chapter pursues better understanding...

Aceitando que existe um tempo lingüístico distinto do tempo físico ou do tempo cronológico, este trabalho visa o estudo do sistema temporal no español utilizando como modelo teórico as propostas de José Luiz Fiorin em As astúcias da enunciação. Desde o ponto de vista da teoria semiótica, adotada no presente trabalho, o sentido constrói-se por um percurso gerativo em três níveis: fundamental, narrativo e discursivo. A enunciação, como ato produtor de um enunciado, é a instância encarregada de instaurar no nível discursivo as categorias de pessoa, tempo e espaço. A partir do momento da enunciação estabelecem-se três momentos de referência, um momento de referência concomitante e dois não concomitantes com o momento da enunciação, o momento de referência da anterioridade e o momento de referência da posterioridade. Por sua vez cada um desses momentos de referência desdobram-se em momentos do acontecimento, igualmente concomitantes e não concomitantes (anteriores e posteriores). Os tempos verbais que exprimem a relação de concomitância configuram o sistema enunciativo e os tempos que explicam a relação de não concomitância com o momento da enunciação conformam o sistema enuncivo. São estudadas as relações dos tempos verbais do español a respeito do momento da enunciação e as diferentes posições que ocupam nos sistemas tanto enuncivo quanto enunciativo, os usos fundamentais e as possíveis neutralizações em determinados contextos ou em função da intenção do enunciador. A verificação do modelo teórico se faz extensiva às mudanças ocorridas tanto no estilo direto, o narrador delega a voz a um interlocutor, quanto no estilo indireto, na passagem de dois momentos de enunciação para um só. Não serão esquecidas as correlações temporais e as relações que os tempos do subjuntivo estabelecem com o verbo principal e, portanto, com o momento de referência dele. / Accepting there is a linguistic tense different from physical or chronological time, this work aims the studying of Spanish time system by using the theoretical model proposed by José Luiz Fiorin in his As astúcias da enunciação. From the point of view of Semiotic theory, adopted in this work, the meaning is constructed by a generative process in several levels, fundamental, narrative and discursive. Enunciation, as a producer fact of a statement, is the instance in charge to initiate in a discursive level the categories of person, time and space. From the moment of enunciation they are created three moments of reference: one moment of concomitance reference and two non-concomitance with the moment of enunciation, the moment of anterior reference and the moment of posterior reference. At the same time, each one of these moments of reference is separated into moments of occurrence, equally concomitance and nonconcomitance (anterior and posterior). The verbal tenses that express the relationship of concomitance configure the enunciative system and verbal times express the relationship of not-concomitance configure the enuncive system. First, they will be studied the relationship of Spanish verbal tenses regarding the moment of the enunciation and different positions they occupy in the systems both enuncive and enunciative. Second, they will be also studied the fundamental uses and possible verbal neutralizations in specific contexts or depending of the writer´s intention. Finally, the verification of Fiorin model is extended to the changes done in the direct style, when the narrator delegates the voice to one interlocutor, as much as in the indirect style, when the two moments of enunciation become just one. They will not been forgotten time correlations and the relationship of the subjunctive tenses establish with the main verb; therefore, with the moment of its reference.

Aceitando que existe um tempo lingüístico distinto do tempo físico ou do tempo cronológico, este trabalho visa o estudo do sistema temporal no español utilizando como modelo teórico as propostas de José Luiz Fiorin em As astúcias da enunciação. Desde o ponto de vista da teoria semiótica, adotada no presente trabalho, o sentido constrói-se por um percurso gerativo em três níveis: fundamental, narrativo e discursivo. A enunciação, como ato produtor de um enunciado, é a instância encarregada de instaurar no nível discursivo as categorias de pessoa, tempo e espaço. A partir do momento da enunciação estabelecem-se três momentos de referência, um momento de referência concomitante e dois não concomitantes com o momento da enunciação, o momento de referência da anterioridade e o momento de referência da posterioridade. Por sua vez cada um desses momentos de referência desdobram-se em momentos do acontecimento, igualmente concomitantes e não concomitantes (anteriores e posteriores). Os tempos verbais que exprimem a relação de concomitância configuram o sistema enunciativo e os tempos que explicam a relação de não concomitância com o momento da enunciação conformam o sistema enuncivo. São estudadas as relações dos tempos verbais do español a respeito do momento da enunciação e as diferentes posições que ocupam nos sistemas tanto enuncivo quanto enunciativo, os usos fundamentais e as possíveis neutralizações em determinados contextos ou em função da intenção do enunciador. A verificação do modelo teórico se faz extensiva às mudanças ocorridas tanto no estilo direto, o narrador delega a voz a um interlocutor, quanto no estilo indireto, na passagem de dois momentos de enunciação para um só. Não serão esquecidas as correlações temporais e as relações que os tempos do subjuntivo estabelecem com o verbo principal e, portanto, com o momento de referência dele. / Accepting there is a linguistic tense different from physical or chronological time, this work aims the studying of Spanish time system by using the theoretical model proposed by José Luiz Fiorin in his As astúcias da enunciação. From the point of view of Semiotic theory, adopted in this work, the meaning is constructed by a generative process in several levels, fundamental, narrative and discursive. Enunciation, as a producer fact of a statement, is the instance in charge to initiate in a discursive level the categories of person, time and space. From the moment of enunciation they are created three moments of reference: one moment of concomitance reference and two non-concomitance with the moment of enunciation, the moment of anterior reference and the moment of posterior reference. At the same time, each one of these moments of reference is separated into moments of occurrence, equally concomitance and nonconcomitance (anterior and posterior). The verbal tenses that express the relationship of concomitance configure the enunciative system and verbal times express the relationship of not-concomitance configure the enuncive system. First, they will be studied the relationship of Spanish verbal tenses regarding the moment of the enunciation and different positions they occupy in the systems both enuncive and enunciative. Second, they will be also studied the fundamental uses and possible verbal neutralizations in specific contexts or depending of the writer´s intention. Finally, the verification of Fiorin model is extended to the changes done in the direct style, when the narrator delegates the voice to one interlocutor, as much as in the indirect style, when the two moments of enunciation become just one. They will not been forgotten time correlations and the relationship of the subjunctive tenses establish with the main verb; therefore, with the moment of its reference.

Não fornecido pelo autor / Não fornecido pelo autor

Conceive, design, produce, and exhibit a complete video art project that brings together skills and concepts I have learned in my critical studies and studio practice courses.

In a society focused on the individual, how is community formed? As individuals predisposed to the built-in barrier of our body, our skin, how do we mediate between the self and the external? During this mediation on the barriers between our body, ourselves, and the outside world, how is consciousness simultaneously conflicted and built upon? What does it mean to be alive, to be a complex individual surrounded by a multitude of complex individuals? Can we, as a society, learn to focus balance the community and the individual? ONLY WE CAN PULL attempts to answer these questions through a series of first-person singular “I” poems, first-person plural “we” poems, and a range of second- and third-person poems interspersed throughout. The poems in this collection show language as a transformative force, able to shape consciousness, depending on the lens and distance through which one views a person, experience, or moment. In the hopes, ONLY WE CAN PULL is a sample-sized collage foregrounding the multiple, fragile paths that lead to the deceptively simple four-letter word “life.”

I examine whether cultural differences in trust towards others, materialism, and risk aversion lower financial statement comparability between countries that require International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”). Evidence from various academic disciplines suggest that cultural beliefs and values affect individuals’ estimates and judgments and their consequent decisions, including economic and financial decisions. I posit that certain cultural beliefs and values also affect the estimates and judgments of corporate managers, resulting in inconsistent reporting decisions for given economic events and lower financial statement comparability. I find that two countries have lower comparability when there are greater cultural differences in trust towards others, materialism, and risk aversion. In cross-sectional tests, I find weak evidence that stronger enforcement of IFRS moderates the cultural effects on cross-country financial statement comparability. Stronger enforcement of regulations and law does not moderate the cultural effects. These findings suggest that having a strong IFRS, regulatory, or legal enforcement does not effectively moderate the impact of culture on cross-country financial statement comparability. A possible explanation is that cultural influence on financial reporting is also manifested through enforcement officials; in other words, those in charge of the enforcement are also subject to the same cultural beliefs and values as others involved in the reporting process, making moderation less likely.