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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.

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