FRAGMENTATION & FLUIDITY
Detail shot of Nearby and Faraway
I am pleased to announce that my senior thesis has been written, edited, and finalized at the printer. Fragmentation and Fluidity: Integrating Self and Social Identity through Visual Narrative is the culmination of countless hours of researching and reading scholarly articles, 68 final pages, 16 experiments producing 7 final oil paintings, all over the past 250 days. Here is a brief excerpt from the abstract:
"This thesis explores the implications of visual narratives as a means to process the deconstruction of socio-cultural identity and incorporation of these influences within an individual identity through visual personal narratives. It is proposed that through the integration and reconciliation of these different external influences, experiences, self-perceptions, and labels that we as people can become healthier, more empowered, whole individuals (Kaimal, 2015). This researcher conducted an extensive literature review and served as the participant examining these effects within the art-based research of this study. Initial art experimentation took place with through self-reflection on the topic of identity and labels; subsequent works were formed in a disciplined process of abstracting photographs and applying oil paint to panel. A method of analysis was further implemented to examine the prominent themes of the artist’s internal narratives from the process. In result, a series of seven oil paintings were discussed via themes, limitations and potential future directions for research."