Date of Award
12-2014
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Departmental Honors
Department
Art and Design
Abstract
When a feather is no longer part of a living bird it is, in essence, dead. When I pick it, up it is reborn. My artwork records and constructs these new stories. The story may reflect where and when the feather was found, what I was doing at the time, my thoughts or feelings when I picked it up, or the character found in the feather itself.
To reveal these stories, I paint my three-dimensional feather collection into trompe l'oiel two-dimensional images using watercolors. The qualities of the paint lend themselves beautifully to the loose flowing lines and weightless quality of the feathers. I also incorporate text and other graphic elements including scientific and mathematical references into each work to create the appearance of a scientific journal entry. This draws the viewer in closer to examine the new life of each feather. As we look at scientific items, rather than art objects, the cognitive process changes. Instead of looking only for pleasure or visual stimulation, we look to discover. The combination of the artistic and scientific styles stimulates both cognitive processes so as viewers look at my art they instinctively begin searching for the story of the feathers.
The aspects of the tool kit will be completed in the following order: artist statement, resume, elevator speech, and then the electronic portfolio. I will complete about one aspect per week with the final date of completion being April 11th. The Show for my body of artwork will be March 23-28th The Toolkit and several of the works will be displayed at the Student showcase on April 11th. Dennise Gackstetter has provided me with the information regarding each facet of the tool kit and Chris Terry has provided input and insights into the creation of my artwork. The final product of this project will be a binder with all of the tools I developed, the artwork I have created, and a short reflection on the whole process.
Recommended Citation
O'Bagy, Madison Bradford, "The New Life of Feathers" (2014). Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects. 648.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/honors/648
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