East Carolina University : Research and Creative Achievement Week 2012
Give Fuel Spark and Air: Harness the Explosion, Matt Harding, School of Art and Design, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, 27858 The internal combustion engine, the most revolutionary invention of the last millennium, has shaped human existence and the environment unlike any other. This powerful machine has irrevocably changed the environment and the way we live. Soon, however, technology will lap these simple machines, leaving the basic concept-- give fuel spark, air, and harness the explosion--by the wayside. In the face of this reality and out of respect for the environment, I feel a duty to acquire the skills and knowledge required to fabricate one from scratch materials. To this end, I have researched source material from the turn of the twentieth century, learning design, drafting, wood pattern-making, metal casting and basic metallurgy to produce raw castings. After producing a casting the metal is shaped and machined on equipment that is capable of producing tolerances within one thousandth of an inch. To harness the internal combustion, it is just as important that the materials be strong enough to withstand the blast as machined to exact dimensions. It is my goal to recover this lost art, using antiquated skills to restore respect for the machines that shape our lives. Who wins when machines make machines anyhow?
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Graffiti: The Word Has Spread, Kyle C. Rees, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, 27858 Graffiti is a subjective word, and I have found several different definitions and criteria for what constitutes labeling something graffiti. Criterion change, then our culture has a new relationship with the graffiti aesthetic. How has something that originally had such negative connotation become accepted by our culture? I am trying to understand how and why this style has made its way from subway trains onto my pottery. My research starts with the early period of modern day graffiti in New York City and goes on to show how it has grown to become an internationally recognized genre of Art. My intent is to communicate how the aesthetic promoted by this art form has grown and become recognized because of innovative, courageous, and skilled artists. I have looked at contemporary graffiti artists who have stood out because of their personal style, technique, medium, and/or prevalence. In my creative work words and images on the surface of porcelain pots reflect the influence this style has had on my own personal aesthetic.
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Sisters: Obesity and Body Dysmorphic Disorder, A Comparative Study, Sally L. Sutton, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, 27858 The prevalence of obesity in the United States exceeds 30% in most age and sex groups. Overall, a combined age-adjusted prevalence of overweight and obese persons is a staggering 68.0%. While taking into consideration the many surveys, trends and studies relating to obesity and body dysmorphic disorder, I will examine the personal and human aspect of obesity and body image distortion as they relate to my family. I will use a creative process of layering image, materials and technique in order to express a personal and human perspective in response to my perception of social expectations and scientific data.
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