MFA Thesis

As I move through life I bear witness to many humans, myself included, striving for a community of support. The network of support is essential to human subsistence for countess reasons. For example, many careers maintained by contemporary society members have become extremely focused, enhancing technological and scientific advancement. While this growth of specialization works to improve our quality of living, it creates a greater dependency on the services and products of others. As our devotion of time towards one field of interest increases, we must rely on the benefits of living in a community where we can gain access to supplementary areas of expertise of the labor force.

In addition to being exposed to the specialization of jobs, human life would present itself as meaningless without the emotional support of others. A simple method of obtaining the emotional support is by living in close proximity of other people, allowing for human interaction and the ability to share life’s memorable experiences with others. Through Support Within a Community, 2005 I attempted to express the need for support by reconstructing a field of prairie grass. Like humans, these grasses are individuals standing together in support of each other. The support of others required by the slender form of the Foxtail Bristle grass is analogous to the emotional support needed by humans. Emotionally, humans group together to share their lives and give meaning and perspective to each other. Just as the field regenerates through the seasons, families and friendships evolve through generations and memories we gain through synchronization of life.

The field of grass that I created not only represents the cyclical nature of biological existence, but also can be viewed as an enduring marker. It represents humans’ enduring need and desire for a strong community of support. Through reinterpreting the fragile form of Foxtail Bristle grass with the permanent quality of metal, I aim to demonstrate the immortality of the ubiquitous dependence on others for physical and emotional support.