Degree Name

MFA (Master of Fine Arts)

Program

Art

Date of Award

5-2001

Committee Chair or Co-Chairs

Michael Smith

Committee Members

Anita Deangelis, David B. Dixon

Abstract

This is a supporting paper for a Master of Fine Arts graduate thesis exhibition of black and white photographs held in Slocumb Gallery April 2-7, 2001. The exhibit represents my major concentration of study in Art at East Tennessee State University. The photographs depict cultural aspects of the rural Smoky Mountains.

I begin with a description of the means used to suggest the mysterious aspects of human existence in everyday life. The second chapter discusses the influences of Henri Cartier-Bresson and Graciella Iturbide and details aspects of the Surrealist aesthetic suggested in this body of work. Other articulated contemporary influences include Emmet Gowin, Sally Mann, and Andrea Modica.

The content and treatment of five photographs from the exhibition is the main focus of chapter three. In conclusion, the photographs delineate an intimate portrait of several rural families and stand as a tribute to the mysterious in a common place.

Document Type

Thesis - unrestricted

Copyright

Copyright by the authors.

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