Can't Get a Date, Date a Dog

Author

Dana Marie Sikkila, Minnesota State University - Mankato

Abstract

My work is about redefining a space, taking away the idea of the white cube that is known as the gallery. I want to take my viewer to another space without having them leave the room. My work overtakes the gallery and gives it a new meaning. The use of wallpaper and house hold appliances transforms the viewer to an era that no longer exists. The use of repetition and female imagery overwhelms the viewer. Over thousands of individually silkscreened and hand cut prints are combined with household appliances to create a three-dimensional sculpture. It takes a two dimensional thing such as a piece of paper and and combines it with a structural form to create a work that engulfs the viewer. The space that is created is a living surrounding for Ms. Ginger Greenfield. Ginger, which is a character played myself, is mid 20's and is based in the 1960's. She's single and unemployed and mainly hangs out with her dog Murphy. She has her demons and is struggling with additions to drugs and alcohol. Ginger inhabits the space and the viewer is allowed to interact with her as if they are coming into her home. She greets them and holds conversations, which reflect her surroundings. Through the course of the show Gingers additions come out and she starts to be affected by the chemicals she intakes. She encounters nose bleeds and excessive puking in front of the audience. These acts are taking away the space between the viewer and the artists.

Advisor

Erik Waterkotte

Committee Member

Curt Germundson

Committee Member

George Grubb

Date of Degree

2013

Language

english

Document Type

Thesis

Degree

Master of Arts (MA)

College

Arts and Humanities

Recommended Citation

Sikkila, D. M . (2013). Can't Get a Date, Date a Dog [Master’s thesis, Minnesota State University, Mankato]. Cornerstone: A Collection of Scholarly and Creative Works for Minnesota State University, Mankato. https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/etds/338/

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License