Date of Award

Spring 5-1-2019

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Fine Arts (MFA)

Department

Art and Design

First Advisor

Pam Longobardi

Second Advisor

Ruth Stanford

Third Advisor

Stephanie Kolpy

Fourth Advisor

Cynthia Farnell

Abstract

Living Hysterically is an immersive exhibition of multi-disciplinary works that explore the ordinary lived experiences of women and highlight women’s constant relationship with labor and pain. Pain can be considered a uniquely feminine issue. In Living Hysterically, each series of work presents a picture of past, present, and future tied to three generations of women. These stories provide an entry point into the personal experiences, both positive and negative, that fill the lives of women. The work illustrates the forces working in these lives that create a spectrum of violence, from the mundane to the traumatic, and the ways women survive and thrive beyond this violence. Together these drawings, sculptures, and interdisciplinary works claims space for women’s stories too often denied in public, creating representations that are more complex and thoughtful than the usual discourse. Moving through the installation becomes an exercise in empathy moving towards understanding and change.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.57709/14417122

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