College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Term of Award

Spring 2026

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 P. Garland

Committee Member 1

Elsie Hill Howington

Committee Member 2

Jason Hoelscher

Committee Member 3

Jason McCoy

Abstract

The dead do not carry their memory. We do. But when memory becomes the only way we can continue to hold on to our loved ones, how do we derive meaning from the fragments when memory begins to fade? Some Assembly Required examines loss as a condition in which meaning is no longer stable, but must be constructed from what remains. Through an interdisciplinary practice that combines ceramics, textiles, and installation, this work explores how domestic objects—once associated with care, function, and familiarity—can be transformed into fragile, unusable forms that persist as evidence of what has been lost. These objects do not attempt to restore the past. Instead, they operate as partial structures that hold the likeness of what once was while acknowledging its absence.

OCLC Number

1588664697

Research Data and Supplementary Material

Yes

Download

Share

COinS