Date of Award
2012
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
M.F.A. in Art
First Advisor
Matt Long
Second Advisor
Lou Haney
Third Advisor
Katherine Fields
Relational Format
dissertation/thesis
Abstract
Liminal Space is an installation that records time between my son's removal from my life and present day. These pieces are the manifestation of hope and loss; they tell the story of my experience of motherhood. They track time through the repetition of form and have become a physical expression of the days that have elapsed in my life since I last saw my son. Liminal space is defined as the space in-between a boundary or a threshold. In this work, I pose the questions: Can liminal space be crossed? How large can this space become? In anthropology, liminality is often considered a rite of passage or a middle ground between two events. I am infinitely stuck in a state of liminality because of my son's absence in my life; I cannot cross the threshold to see him. I am investigating time through multiple slip castings in clay. The repetition and use of clay as a material allows me to physically mark my memory in space. I am using children's toy trains as a symbol for this memory in order to provide a direct connection between childhood and adulthood, child and parent, as well as the past and the present. The use of clay is rooted in my background as a potter. I came into graduate school expecting and anticipating to be exploring pottery, however, as I progressed through the program, I found that using pots as vehicle for my evolving narrative was not working. The experiences of loss in my life became so overwhelming that I needed a therapeutic way to digest them. At first, making tiny plates that I could throw quickly and repetitively became a release for me. After processing those forms as wall pieces, I felt the need for the object itself to become the vehicle. This change led me to installation, which has opened up a more direct avenue for expressing my ideas. Ultimately, these choices have produced this thesis as the most honest and paired down version of itself. It is a materialization of the liminal space that continues to expand in my life.
Recommended Citation
Truman, Sara Beth, "Liminal Space" (2012). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 286.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/286
Concentration/Emphasis
Ceramics