Then and Now: An Exploration in Visual Memoir

Graduate Thesis Or Dissertation

Citations

Citeable URL: https://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/graduate_thesis_or_dissertations/kp78gg801

Abstract

My creative thesis is a series of hybrid works on paper that began as a memoiresque exploration of personal narrative, through the introduction of family snapshots, and resolved itself as a Jungian landscape of the shadow side of family life. Since my creative process was critical to the evolution of this work it is discussed in detail. A description of the traditional printmakers aesthetic is included to contrast it with my current personal aesthetic. I write about how this work was driven by chance as much as it was crafted with deliberation and control. A discussion is included describing the process of weaning myself from being seduced by the preciousness of the work, as part of my challenge demanded a break with aesthetic traditions as well as emotional attachment to the photographic images of my family. The final chapter discusses several of the pieces in detail touching on personal narrative and formal issues. This group of works assembles four generations of my family, transports them from the intimate setting of family albums into an academic/museum environment, where private and public spheres collide.

Creator