DOI
https://doi.org/10.25772/6PAF-B866
Defense Date
2021
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Fine Arts
Department
Dean's Office Qatar
First Advisor
Marco Bruno
Second Advisor
Michael Hersrud
Third Advisor
Michael Wirtz
Abstract
Society takes a dim view of idleness, regarding downtime as wasted time, but what if society’s view is wrong? This thesis champions daydreaming; it advocates for quirky, playful experiences that improve quality-of-life by avoiding burnout and mitigating tedium. Borrowing language from the Theatre of the Absurd, The Default challenges society’s attitudes toward productivity, striking a new relationship between a cubicle worker and a set of seemingly-familiar but surprising objects. Reflecting on the absurdity of contemporary work-life imbalance, the objects and narratives depicted in The Default invite playful interactions, when objects that appear to be normal behave unexpectedly. The Default is presented as a narrative video, mapped and projected onto real versions of the space and objects depicted in the video, playing with the boundaries between what is real and what is imaginary, triggering reflection on how we spend our time, and how we interact with the objects in our lives.
Rights
© The Author
Is Part Of
VCU University Archives
Is Part Of
VCU Theses and Dissertations
Date of Submission
5-6-2021