Semester

Spring

Date of Graduation

2010

Document Type

MFA Creative Writing Thesis

Degree Type

MFA

College

Eberly College of Arts and Sciences

Department

English

Committee Chair

Joseph Lupo

Abstract

The following paper describes and explains the exhibition: The Salad Days which was on display at the Paul Mesaros Gallery at the College of Creative Arts, West Virginia University, March 15 to 19, 2010. The show consisted of eight sculptural pieces in a variety of media, from cast bronze, plaster and rubber to paper mâche and altered found objects. The paper, along with the exhibition, explores the ideas of youthful idealism, late 1980's punk subculture, bland formal aesthetics combined with an intentionally loose execution of media, these works ultimately explore the notion of losing that idealism. The exhibition and paper deal with the unfortunate realization that the utopian aspirations of my younger years have generally failed as did the surrounding subculture. Additionally my work is concerned with a conceptual forcing of "lower culture" objects into the world of "high art" by use of personal iconography and a transformation of ordinary objects into extraordinary art objects both through a change of media and context.

Embargo Reason

Permanent Embargo – MFA Creative Writing

Available for download on Monday, January 01, 2046

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