DOI
https://doi.org/10.25772/39Q2-JB81
Defense Date
2019
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Fine Arts
Department
Dean's Office Qatar
First Advisor
Rab McClure
Second Advisor
Byrad Yyelland
Third Advisor
Michael Perrone
Abstract
An unhealthy reliance on vision alone, fed by pervasive, doctored, hyperreal imagery in the mass media, suppresses a more balanced use of other senses, reinforcing superficial beauty standards. Trapped by an uncritical preference for the visually “perfect” and harmonious, people increasingly seek to remove physical attributes they consider “imperfect,” without first considering how these “imperfections” benefit and distinguish them as unique individuals.
This thesis addresses superficial beauty standards by shifting focus from singularly visual experience to a more nuanced sensory aesthetic that also considers haptic qualities. Through a combination of research writing and targeted making, my work examines society’s understanding of flaws and imperfections by strategically embedding natural qualities of texture and randomness—blemishes—into ceramics, a medium treated as analogous to human skin.
The resulting tools and objects, designed to support a healthy, ritualized daily skincare routine, examine beauty through the lens of wabi-sabi—the philosophy of things imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete.
Rights
© The Author
Is Part Of
VCU University Archives
Is Part Of
VCU Theses and Dissertations
Date of Submission
5-9-2019