Honors Theses

Date of Award

2019

Document Type

Undergraduate Thesis

Department

Art and Art History

First Advisor

Joshua Brinlee

Relational Format

Dissertation/Thesis

Abstract

This thesis is based off the children’s book Swimmy, by Leo Lionni. The story develops into a series of paintings serving as a grand illustration of the narrative. Swimmy is about a fish whose companions were all eaten by a big tuna fish and now journeys the sea alone. Eventually, Swimmy finds more fish like its own, and together they swim as one large fish-form, scaring away the big tuna fish. The moral of this story is of perseverance and cooperation, showing how working together can overcome insurmountable obstacles in the face of danger. This group of paintings follows characters on their journey to find new friends. They are confronted with conflicts forcing them to collaborate and morph into different combinations, creating evolved characters with new powers. These characters portray encounters between humans, animals, and nature. The conflicts arising between them take place in a Surreal landscape and explore notions of habitat destruction. Harm to the environment is paradoxically represented, depicting it as lethal for human survival while characterizing nature as an organism forever maintaining homeostasis, through means of plant lifeforms sprouting out from the ruins to offer protection. The scenery develops playfully with bright colors and simplified forms to appear non-threatening while depicting macabre scenes. The process in creating the imagery pulls from Surrealism and relies heavily on chance and imagination, creating a make-believe environment full of fantasy and imaginary characters

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