After the Bloom

Author

Ashton Keen, Utah State UniversityFollow

Date of Award

8-2024

Degree Type

Creative Project

Degree Name

Master of Fine Arts (MFA)

Department

Art and Design

Committee Chair(s)

John Neely Dan Murphy Kathy Puzy

Committee

John Neely

Committee

Dan Murphy

Committee

Todd Hayes

Committee

Kathy Puzy

Abstract

Coming out has changed my relationship with my family. Using melancholy floral imagery, I want to speak about the distance and loneliness I feel towards the relationships I view as traditionally loving and nurturing. Thinking of memories of gardening with my mother, dandelions were something we’d uproot from of the ground to make space for new growth. By roughing up the surface of the vessel I try to imply the feeling of soft soil running through my hands.

I use the black dandelions to represent self. Resilient, but delicate in nature, dandelions stand as symbols of how coming out changed my relationship with my parents. This event altered the idea of their perfect garden and left me feeling like the black sheep of the family. I like to represent the dandelions in a stark silhouette, invoking feelings of seclusion and being misunderstood. Dandelions are defiant because regardless of their environment they prevail and blossom. Through my work, I seek to mirror my experiences with coming out with that of the stereotypical perspective on dandelions—transforming into a flower representative of resilience, adaptability, and beauty.

Using a dark red clay adorned with a subtle slip surface, I strive to emphasize a sense of history, revealing the raw beauty of the vessel underneath. Finishing the work in atmospheric kilns gives each piece a soft simple exterior, enhancing what already exists in the pot. These surfaces become gently kissed by the flame of the kiln.

Recommended Citation

Keen, Ashton, "After the Bloom" (2024). All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present. 47.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/gradreports2023/47