The Dream State

Lead Author Major

Studio Art

Lead Author Status

Senior

Format

Senior Art and Design Exhibition

Faculty Mentor Name

Daniel Kasser

Faculty Mentor Department

Visual Arts

Abstract/Artist Statement

The Dream State

The most interesting form of art for me is that which blurs the line between the conscious and sub-conscious life. I have always had a desire to connect my sub-conscience life with my art making interests. This approach to creating imagery is a recurrent theme in western art; Surrealism and Dada are popular versions of this idea in the modern art movement of the 20th century.

The catalyst for my desire to be an artist began as a child when I encountered the album art for The Tales from the Topographic Oceans by the alternative rock band Yes. The artist name was Roger Dean. I attribute this encounter as the reason I became an artist. With Dean’s admixture of whimsy, realism, surrealism and abstraction, he revealed to me that the imagination could be the fertile ground for the intellect and creating ideas and emotions through artworks.

The artworks produced for my senior exhibition recall Dean’s influences through an ongoing exploration of imagery I call The Dream State. In the Dream State, the thematic direction is not strictly a surrealist endeavor. Unlike Surrealism, my paintings utilize a narrative and invite the viewer to engage and interpret the adventures of Ethereal Wormsnake. I rely upon an element of ambiguity to delay the interpretation and rush to conclusions about the artworks inner workings. I am comfortable with the idea that it may require a day, week, or months to decipher my compositions.

Creation is a process where I remove the filters and allow my mind to do what it does naturally, imagine. Inspiration can come from the simplest of things like from a cloud in the sky, a certain color in nature, a funny story, or from my dreams.

Location

Reynolds Gallery

Start Date

19-4-2017 12:00 PM

End Date

13-5-2017 6:00 PM

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Apr 19th, 12:00 PM May 13th, 6:00 PM

The Dream State

Reynolds Gallery

The Dream State

The most interesting form of art for me is that which blurs the line between the conscious and sub-conscious life. I have always had a desire to connect my sub-conscience life with my art making interests. This approach to creating imagery is a recurrent theme in western art; Surrealism and Dada are popular versions of this idea in the modern art movement of the 20th century.

The catalyst for my desire to be an artist began as a child when I encountered the album art for The Tales from the Topographic Oceans by the alternative rock band Yes. The artist name was Roger Dean. I attribute this encounter as the reason I became an artist. With Dean’s admixture of whimsy, realism, surrealism and abstraction, he revealed to me that the imagination could be the fertile ground for the intellect and creating ideas and emotions through artworks.

The artworks produced for my senior exhibition recall Dean’s influences through an ongoing exploration of imagery I call The Dream State. In the Dream State, the thematic direction is not strictly a surrealist endeavor. Unlike Surrealism, my paintings utilize a narrative and invite the viewer to engage and interpret the adventures of Ethereal Wormsnake. I rely upon an element of ambiguity to delay the interpretation and rush to conclusions about the artworks inner workings. I am comfortable with the idea that it may require a day, week, or months to decipher my compositions.

Creation is a process where I remove the filters and allow my mind to do what it does naturally, imagine. Inspiration can come from the simplest of things like from a cloud in the sky, a certain color in nature, a funny story, or from my dreams.