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An investigation into media, violence, and personal accountability
Mullen, Madison
Mullen, Madison
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Mullen_2024.pdf
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2024-04-26
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Mullen, M. 2024. An investigation into media, violence, and personal accountability. -- In Proceedings: 20th Annual Symposium on Graduate Research and Scholarly Projects. Wichita, KS: Wichita State University
Abstract
This research investigates the interplay between how the media portrays violence and the consequential societal desensitization towards violent acts that take place towards women. I plan to investigate this concept through a sculptural project, intended to explore how scale and material choices impact emotional responses in my artwork. Through experimentation of sculpting a lifesize doe figure out of a combination of a ceramic material body and textile soft-sculpture intestines, I hope to understand the relationship between soft and hard materials and the way these materials communicate the duality of fear and violence, two emotions centralized in my work. By creating a life-size doe sculpture, the project assesses the impact of the viewer and sculpture existing on the same plane and in close proximity to one another- a rare experience for someone to have with a real living deer. To allow the viewer to experience interacting with an animal that has been gutted is hypothesized to result in the viewer humanizing and even sympathizing with the figure, leaving them to question and reflect on their own relationship towards either fear or violence as it pertains to their own life, and the media they chose to engage with. I use animals in place of women in my work in order to depict the power dynamics between hunter and prey, and additionally to avoid the inherent sexualization of the nude female body. I instead use animals typically associated with slaughter and butchery in combination with the theme of violence, brutality, and dissection that comes with the depiction of guts in my work to avoid perpetuating associations between sexual imagery and violent gore. Ultimately, this research contributes to understanding how artistic representation challenges societal norms and enriches discourse in art, gender studies, and cultural criticism.
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Description
Presented to the 20th Annual Symposium on Graduate Research and Scholarly Projects (GRASP) held at the Rhatigan Student Center, Wichita State University, April 26, 2024.
Research completed in the Department of Art, Design and Creative Industries, College of Fine Arts.
Research completed in the Department of Art, Design and Creative Industries, College of Fine Arts.
Publisher
Wichita State University
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GRASP
v. 20
v. 20