Fleet: Nuances of Time and Ephemera
Abstract
The following MFA thesis is an investigation into tendencies emphasizing permanency in both art, and to a lesser extent, daily living. By exploring ideas surrounding temporality, the ephemeral, and permanency in the studio and the gallery by working creatively with organic material and allowing it to decay naturally, I foreground ideas surrounding “life and death,” and the way they play out in art practices.
The thesis has been separated into three main chapters, the first one being an Extended Artist Statement where I elaborate on the research interests, artistic influences and material dedication that informed my project. Practice documentation is the focus of the next chapter, where I have compiled images of my work at various stages from the studio to the gallery. I also explain in some detail my decisions concerning experimentation and processes, and provide formal descriptions, titles, and dates. The final main chapter is an interview with Toronto-based artist Laurie Kang, where her practice, process, material choices, and her work that evolves within the gallery are the focus. These three components work alongside with my studio practice and MFA exhibition to question our desire for permanence, and how that desire influences our interactions with making and engaging with art.