Date of Award
12-2021
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
Department
Visual Arts
Committee Chair/Advisor
Valerie Zimany
Committee Member
Todd McDonald
Committee Member
Beth Lauritis
Abstract
Although the sculptures of Material Entropy are not directly anthropomorphic, the corporeality of the materials is accentuated in rendering the entropic state of our ephemeral bodies. We often avoid thoughts concerning the anatomical systems that function beneath our skin as they reveal our mortality to be tangible. Clay is initially manipulated as a soft material, but once fired it gains permanence and loses the ongoing malleability of soft sculpture. Latex and fibers have been utilized in conjunction with ceramic in order to reveal the tension between dichotomies such as hard versus soft or internal versus external. The use of pantyhose as a sculptural material subverts their intended utility as objects designed for the purpose of concealing and containing the body. Soft sculpture challenges the stability and structure typically associated with sculpture due to its elasticity and innate amorphousness. The vulnerability of this formlessness reflects the fragility of our bodies and serves as an interplay between levels of material impermanence.
Recommended Citation
Bradshaw, Lauren, "Material Entropy" (2021). All Theses. 3704.
https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/all_theses/3704