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Item Parallel realities(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Arts & Architecture, 1997) Muhsam, Armin HerbertI am interested in the after-life of machine parts, their existence after functionalism, their motionlessness, their being awkwardly out. of place and, above all, the chaotic accumulation of fragments in the junkyard, which seems to mock the hierarchical order within which they once functioned. What if these parts started moving again, not according to logical assembly plans but according to the random order they lie about in the junkyard? What would it be like if these fragments formed new machines, animated by internal forces or by residual energy from their previous use? They would be doing what. I imagine being every technician’s nightmare: The established order collapses and is replaced by unpredictable chaos. For me, this scenario is the stimulant for my art, the incentive to fix these situations into an image. When I work with found junk parts, they serve as outside referents of which I make numerous studies. These drawings not only transform the object but also help generate fresh ideas and explore pictorial possibilities. I then transfer the drawings onto big canvases. Once enlarged, the forms develop a dynamic on their own and I often rely on this element of chance to produce unplanned changes in shapes and spatial relationships. When I finally paint these compositions I have arrived at a reality that runs somewhat parallel to the one I had started out from.Item Parallel realities(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Arts & Architecture, 1997) McDade, Karl VautrainBy combining reproductions of found industrial objects with ancient Greek pottery forms, I am attempting to build relationships with the past and the present. Ancient Greek vessels are a symbol of early industry and basic human needs to control and simplify life. Industrial objects are a metaphor for the advancement of our technology and the control we have gained over our environment. Combined, these objects symbolize a long history of technological advancement, attempts to control our environment, and ultimately, nature. In my eyes, true beauty is found only in nature, through natural processes of creation and destruction and no object contrived by human hands and logical thought can compete with natural phenomena. The man-made objects that I am most attracted to are those which are old and have been exposed to the elements for many years. With this exposure to the elements an object becomes subjected to the chaos and chance of nature which does not work in terms of logic and is ultimately a purely random process. In order to accomplish this quality, my work has become highly process oriented. Instead of precise manipulation, I set up events which allow for random and natural occurrences within certain parameters. This concurrently makes my work less concerned with the issue of traditional craftsmanship and more with the idea of emulating chaotic natural beauty in the form of an archetypal craft object; the pottery vessel.Item Ceremony(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Arts & Architecture, 2000) Adams, Caroline A.According to the artist Andy Goldsworthy, one must feel an “intimate physical involvement with the earth" in order to see nature. Jewelry allows the viewer this intimacy, creating a relationship between human and natural object. The SeedPods bracelet holds up these tiny specimens, allowing us to see the rhythm of their form, and the variations among them. The vulnerability of the organic component and subsequent fragility of these pieces requires the wearers to be conscious both of the natural, and of their own bodies. When wearing the Petals bracelet, one is aware that any slight move could destroy these paper-thin fragments, and we are drawn, consequently, to admire, appreciate, and honor them. Jewelry often blurs the line between art and function, utilitarian and aesthetic. These pieces surround the body, encircle the neck, run down the spine, and embrace the finger and wrist. These parts of the body are our vital lifelines, our primary means of interacting with the world. The pieces are clearly not practical, however, and may not comply with our accepted notions of jewelry’s size, form or materials. Utilizing them in the same manner as we wear mere accessories would destroy them. They change the actions of the body, which no longer runs and hugs and sits haphazardly. Instead, the body moves deliberately, carefully, gently. The mind is conscious' of fragile gems, dependent upon the wearer to be safely carried. What we wear is often not practical. We may refer to it as ceremonial, specific to an event, or moment. The necktie, the four-inch stiletto, the wedding dress with a twenty-five foot train, the veil, the crown, a long slim skirt, a Halloween costume... all of these are clearly recognizable in our culture, yet they restrict movement, limit sight, and otherwise dictate behavior. Their purposes range from accentuating beauty to displaying role and power. This body of work captures some of the ineffable qualities of our practices of “ceremonial” adornment.Item Painted constructions(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Arts & Architecture, 1986) Minter, Kenda LouiseI am currently working on small painted constructions. When I first started this body of work, I used found objects as a basis for forming each piece. The objects were transformed from junk into representations of various medals of honor. Since then the emphasis has changed from a sentimental attachment to the object into a more integrated construction of form, texture, and color. The pieces consist of a variety of found objects that provide a foundation for ideas and solutions within the pieces. The objects are appropriately arranged and visually transformed by the addition of the painted surface. When constructing a two-dimensional relief surface it is apparent to me that the paint must be a rich and integral part of the piece or be overpowered by the found object. I use the paint to enhance, respond to, or imitate the physical, tactile and inherent color qualities natural to found objects. In effect, the paint must become object-like. The pieces focus on the tension between the actual object on the surface and the illusion created by the painted shapes. This encounter between the physical reality of the objects and the painted illusion of form and space becomes the crux of my pieces. The objects I choose lend themselves to a small format because the paint can more easily transform the scale of the objects. As I work, idea's for pieces occur simultaneously. I take advantage of these ideas by working on many pieces at once. The immediacy of the small scale allows for manipulation and experimentation. As I paint on a construction I often hold it in my lap. I enjoy the feeling of the entire construction becoming an object. I want the viewer to be as involved in comprehending the pieces as I was in making, them. I want my work to engage the viewer through the recognition of the illusion versus object, a fascination with surface, a response to the colors, and by identification of the objects. My paintings may appear one way at first glance, then as the viewer is drawn close I hope his perception will change. Ideally the viewer will become aware of the deception and the reality of the construction.Item When more is more becomes too much(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Arts & Architecture, 2012) Fuhringer, Colleen Ann; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Rollin BeamishThough we live in an age of uncertainty, we are constantly surrounded by what is predictable and routine. What happens when the comfort of our understanding is questioned? This body of work developed out of my experimental curiosity and desire to merge the familiar with the unexpected. Incorporating furniture and found objects brings a level of familiarity to the viewer, but manipulating the usual and adding strange elements causes inquiry. All of the components are set up into narrative tableaus and every part is considerably important to the whole. The installation explores humor and fear related to the grotesque and the uncanny, exploring contradictory elements such as: anthropomorphic and foreign, vibrant and static, seductive and repulsive. Each scene reveals no answers but poses only questions, inviting the viewer to fully experience their surroundings and come up with their own conclusions. We often exist between the margins of the known and the unknown but our understanding of this existence is purely individual.Item Accumulated Response(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Arts & Architecture, 2008) Bentz, Heather Heise; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Sara MastMy paintings are abstractions of the repeated patterns, shapes and structure I see and experience every day. My inspiration comes in many forms: found objects dropped or discarded by others, plowed and planted acres of soil, fence posts along edges of fields, blasts of train whistles and the silent spaces between them. All share similarities of repetition-the positive/negative relationship of reoccurrences with a cadence of structure and order but which never can be fully captured or contained.