Term of Award

Spring 2021

Degree Name

Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.)

Document Type and Release Option

Thesis (open access)

Copyright Statement / License for Reuse

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Department

Department of Art

Committee Chair

Jeff Garland

Committee Member 1

Jason Hoelscher

Committee Member 2

Jason Murdock

Abstract

Plastic products are convenient, abundant and our use of them has become routine. This acceptance of

plastics’ presence has become a dogma that most humans adhere to. The continual consumption of

these single-use plastics in our daily lives has unknowingly shaped our environmental consciousness,

behaviors, and justification for them. This belief in plastics function has been strategically developed by

companies that rely on our behaviors to distribute their products. Humans have become the faithful

consumers of these goods and this belief. The brain and its ability to remain plastic and develop

decision-making skills are known as Myelination. New experiences enhance this neurological function

and strengthen our reasoning skills. Everyone knows that plastics are bad for the environment, however,

they still take advantage of their conveniences. Experiencing my kitsch work shifts the postmodern

narratives around recycling and presents it in an altered state that does not immediately read as plastic.

This aesthetic experience can shift the mindset on sustainability and how we think of our plastics to

generate a responsibility toward being good stewards of the earth.

OCLC Number

1258117432

Research Data and Supplementary Material

Yes

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