Date on Master's Thesis/Doctoral Dissertation

5-2019

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Degree Name

M.F.A.

Department

Fine Arts

Degree Program

Studio Art and Design, MFA

Committee Chair

Massey, Scott

Committee Co-Chair (if applicable)

Singel, Rachel

Committee Member

Singel, Rachel

Committee Member

Carothers, Mary

Committee Member

Beggan, James

Author's Keywords

self-disclosure; social exchange theory; social practice art; screen printing; contemporary art; socially engaged art

Abstract

My social anxiety is the driving force behind my thesis work. Sufferers of social anxiety often have a hard time forming relationships because their fear of social interaction causes them to refrain from self-disclosure. Self-disclosure is the act of telling others personal details about yourself. This can be hard for people with social anxiety because of their intense fear of judgement. It is quite common for people with this type of anxiety to seek out opportunities to self-disclose online because they have the advantage of anonymity and time to construct thoughtful responses. In my work I seek out participants online and provide them with the opportunity to self disclose in a number of anonymous ways. My relationships with participants require reciprocal social exchange. In return for their participation, I offer participants an outlet for healing through self-disclosure. Much like the iv work of social practice artists, my artwork is more focused on the interaction between artist and participants than the resulting art object.

Download

Share

COinS