Date of Award
12-1-2003
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.F.A. in Art
First Advisor
Sheri Fleck Rieth
Second Advisor
Ron Dale
Third Advisor
Virginia R. Chavis
Relational Format
dissertation/thesis
Abstract
This body of work addresses the concept of physical beauty and the attendant value that we as a society place upon it. Beauty shares characteristics with other prized possessions in life. It may be traded for monetary gain, as is the case with professional models. The exchange is not always so obvious. What constitutes beauty is open to many interpretations as to why it is deemed desirable. I have observed physical characteristics which are valued as attractive, change, from one social group to another and within that same society evolve with the passage of time.
Physical beauty differs from other valuable possessions in two ways. 1. Judging beauty is highly subjective. Often what is deemed attractive to one person may not be looked upon as a sign of beauty to another. 2. Physical beauty does not appreciate with time, it has a limited lifespan. The analogy to flower petals, which provide a show of color and scent to attract insects for pollination, seems appropriate.
The images which comprise my thesis exhibition feature female students from the University of Mississippi Art Department. They are used as representations of physical beauty, not as personal statements about the individuals. They are serigraphed on paper and wood in small editions. Anatomy illustrations, gameboards and flowers are symbols which suggest certain qualities of physical beauty and the human interaction that is involved with the exchange of physical beauty for whatever is desired in return.
Power is a common companion with beauty. It may not be coincidence that the attainment of power by women through means other than physical beauty has been difficult. I make no moral judgement on this exchange. It has been a part of life as long as civilization has endured and I suspect very little will change in the foreseeable future.
Recommended Citation
Abide, Joseph, "Beauty as Currency" (2003). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 2606.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/2606
Comments
printmaking