Date of Award
December 2019
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
Department
Art
Committee Member
Kathleen Thum
Committee Member
Beth Lauritis
Committee Member
Anderson Wrangle
Abstract
This body of work was created in response to observing moments when people in my life succumb to technological distractions during face to face exchanges. My series of drawn portraits meditate on these disconnections where a smart phone often lurks like an uninvited guest between me and another person. The individual’s face and hands are meticulously rendered whereas the atmosphere tends toward abstraction. Naturalistic representation conveys a sense of physical presence and abstraction emphasizes that their mind is elsewhere. Lapses in the connection are tied together through abstraction as a tool to convey this ambiguity. I include fragments of my own thoughts to bridge the gap between our communications. In an effort to link myself to them in our disconnection, I capture their likeness accurately to create a gesture of intimacy.
The drawings engage with distraction as a societal norm in the hope that we will become increasingly present in our day-to-day lives, look up, and be engaged.
Recommended Citation
Ayers, Denise, "Relationships and Blue Distractions" (2019). All Theses. 3206.
https://open.clemson.edu/all_theses/3206