Thesis (M.A. 1971) from the Department of German Language and Literature, University of Adelaide.

Thesis (M.F.A.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 1984. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaf 27).

Thesis (M.F.A.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 1990. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 36-37).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 1999. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 235-249).

Thesis--Stockholm. / Summary in German. Includes bibliographical references (p. 210-223) and index.

One significant feature of this dissertation is an alternative reading of an eminent thinker of the Enlightenment such as Kant, specifically in the arena of art theory and art history. In so doing, one cannot claim that contemporary theory is free of past shortcomings that characterize the assumptions of the Enlightenment; neither should we forget that the past contains the seeds for future theoretical and practical directions. The focus of this dissertation is to elucidate how Kant's conception of fine art can be reinterpreted in such a way that it can be perceived as both Modernist and Postmodernist. Initially, I state the position of Kant in terms of a Formalist understanding of art. This focus on the form of an artwork coheres with certain basic Modernist tenets. Kant's aesthetics is shown to converge with that of the Modernist art critic, Clement Greenberg. Based on this Modernist reading of Kant, I analyze the paintings of Newman and Hoffman, who are both Abstract Expressionists. Thereafter, I question Kantian and Modernist aesthetics with the use of Postmodern theories. The Formalist work of Abstract Expressionism is critiqued first from the perspective of Pop art strategies and then by using the philosophical stance of Conceptual art. Lastly, Kant is reinterpreted in the light of Postmodern theories, such as the linguistic turn, the sublime and the metaphorical nature of art. In exploring the overlapping of Kant's aesthetics with Postmodernism, the boundaries between Modernism and Postmodernism become somewhat blurred. In this way, Newman is reevaluated in such a way as to eschew a purely Formalist critique and to offer a critical perspective closer to a Postmodern viewpoint. / Art History, Visual Arts and Music / (M.A. (Art History))

This thesis proposes to investigate the influence of the Mexican muralists in the United States, from the Depression to the Cold War. This thesis begins with the origins of the Mexican mural movement, which will provide the background to understand the artists' ideologies and their relationship and conflicts with the Mexican government. Then, I will discuss the presence of Mexican artists in the United States, their repercussions, and the interaction between censorship and freedom of expression as well as the controversies that arose from their murals. This thesis will explore the influence that the Mexican mural movement had in the United States in the creation of a government-sponsored program for the arts (The New Deal, Works Progress Administration). During the 1930s, sociological factors caused that not only the art, but also the political ideologies of the Mexican artists to spread across the United States. The Depression provided the environment for a public art of social content, as well as a context that allowed some American artists to accept and follow the Marxist ideologies of the Mexican artists. This influence of radical politics will be also described. Later, I will examine the repercussions of the Mexican artists' work on the Abstract Expressionist movement of the 1940s. Finally I will also examine the iconography of certain murals by Mexican and American artists to appreciate the reaction of their audience, their acceptance among a circle of artists, and the historical context that allowed those murals to be created. / Master of Arts

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Virginia, 2003. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 456-472). Also available online through Digital Dissertations.

The vitality of the human figure has been an unending source of curiosity for artists from the beginning to now. Although many artists have focused their creativity to searching for the perfect, in fact, beautiful, human form, others have striven to convey the human experience within the spirit of their own era. The latter is true of this creative project, which has addressed the following problem: hog: could large-scale intaglio printmaking be used to 02arify the negative impact our rigid contemporary notion of beauty can have on individual women? The project was inspired by the work of Kaethe Kollwitz, German artist of the early 20th century whc used her technical drawing skills to translate her knowledge of war and famine shattered women into forceful lithographs and etchings. The insight she Portrayed vividly combined her intensely personal vision the Vicious events of her times: social commentary at its finest.The significance of the project has been, first of all, its benefit to myself, the artist. The journey which I undertook through historical research on Kollwitz; conceptual investigation of women and rigid norms for beauty; and extension of my technical expertise as an etcher-has produced insights about creating art that are invaluable to the mature artist. The second significance involves the viewer, whom I hope reconsiders the images of women displayed in contemporary society.The project’s five large-scale etchings of the female figure portray in a series my ideas about roles women are expected to assume in contemporary American society. These ideas unfolded especially during the creation of the first and second etchings.The report of the project deals extensively with the drawing and etching techniques used for each print; a description of each of the works; the ideas which inspired the content of the works; how these ideas were transformed into visual images; and the technical competencies that I acquired while working through each plate. / Department of Art

Thesis (M.S.)--Georgia Southern University, 2007. / "A thesis submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Georgia Southern University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Fine Arts." Under the direction of Patricia Walker. ETD. Electronic version approved: December 2007. Includes bibliographical references (p. 55-56) and appendix.