Utility Lines

Author

Carolyn Hartwell, Minnesota State University, Mankato

Abstract

The paintings included in this Thesis Exhibition explore the theme of fragility that retains quiet strength. Combining delicacy with tenacity is how I arrived at the name of the exhibition, Utility Lines. A utility line transfers energy and is vulnerable to both weather and accident; the fragile materiality is the weakness inherent to functionality. In my work, I am deciding how much responsibility for the stability of a composition can be carried by the most tenuous elements. I test how much of the emotional and compositional load of a painting can be born by muted colors, awkward shapes and unsteady lines. My paintings are about building powerful abstract compositions from vulnerable parts. My goal is to present the expansive power of intimate scenes and to demonstrate that monumentality is possible on a small scale.

Advisor

Liz Miller

Committee Member

Areca Roe

Committee Member

Brandon Cooke

Date of Degree

2023

Language

english

Document Type

Thesis

Degree

Master of Arts (MA)

Program of Study

Studio Art/Painting

College

Humanities and Social Sciences

Recommended Citation

Hartwell, C. (2023). Utility lines [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/1290/