Barrett, The Honors College Thesis/Creative Project Collection
Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University proudly showcases the work of undergraduate honors students by sharing this collection exclusively with the ASU community.
Barrett accepts high performing, academically engaged undergraduate students and works with them in collaboration with all of the other academic units at Arizona State University. All Barrett students complete a thesis or creative project which is an opportunity to explore an intellectual interest and produce an original piece of scholarly research. The thesis or creative project is supervised and defended in front of a faculty committee. Students are able to engage with professors who are nationally recognized in their fields and committed to working with honors students. Completing a Barrett thesis or creative project is an opportunity for undergraduate honors students to contribute to the ASU academic community in a meaningful way.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 14
Filtering by
- All Subjects: art
Description
The purpose of this creative project is twofold: Firstly, to study various pattern-welding processes that have been used throughout history, and secondly, to attempt to create a piece or several pieces of art using the processes studied. Pattern-welding traditionally refers to the practice of creating forged laminates composed of alternating layers of two or more compositionally distinct metals. This term is typically used to specifically refer to these techniques when they are used for the creation of blades, with laminates made of high-phosphorus iron, low-phosphorus mild steel, and/or wrought iron, which was historically done to give the final weapon allegedly better mechanical properties (Thiele et al., 2015). This technique, while supposedly creating mechanically superior weapons in terms of durability and strength, also results in a unique, incredibly aesthetic visual effect. As the laminated billet of metals is twisted, deformed, etched, and polished, the different layers of metals become visible, resulting in a range of patterns depending on the deformation techniques used, and it was this aesthetic value that truly led to the widespread use of pattern-welding. Metals worked in this manner are colloquially known today as Damascus, although the process is technically distinct from true Damascus steel. For the purposes of this creative project, I will extend the concept of pattern-welding beyond strictly using iron and steel used to create swords, and include the similar artistic technique known as mokume-gane. Mokume-gane, which directly translates into English as “wood-grain metal” (Binnion, 2011), also involves forging alternating layers of different metals into a billet, but uses softer metals, historically silver, gold, copper, and alloys of the above. Mokume-gane, which has only relatively recently been used in the West, is the technique that I used to create my art pieces for this creative project.
ContributorsFox, Matthew Davis (Author) / Misquadace, Wanesia (Thesis director) / Burt, Donald (Committee member) / School of Earth and Space Exploration (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
Psychology and dance both shed light on the question: how do our personal, life experiences affect our movement? This document introduces elements from psychology and dance through associative learning, attachment styles, muscle patterning, and partner improvisation as ways of exploring this question. It aims to briefly introduce these theories and explain how they had a role in the research of the creative project. It also documents the inception, creation, and production of Lullabye, a dance work intended to be accessible to an audience with little to no experience viewing concert dance, with the target audience specifically being the writer’s mother. It has three sections, each featuring a different element of dance, storytelling, and individuality. It starts a conversation on how emotions and thoughts related to personal experiences can affect our movement.
ContributorsTello Solano, Carlos (Co-author, Co-author) / Kaplan, Robert (Thesis director) / Montoya, Yvonne (Committee member) / Schupp, Karen (Committee member) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / School of Film, Dance and Theatre (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
Experimentation with glaze materials resulted in 2 functional and interesting base glazes with multiple color variants each. A semi-matte stoneware glaze was created, however after being unable to replicate a specific coloring without drying out the glaze, it was discovered that using this glaze to spray over specific studio glazes produced a more pleasant color effect than the glaze by itself. A glossy clear glaze was created. The glaze crazed minimally, and color variants were created with the rare earth metals erbium, praseodymium, and neodymium, resulting in celadon-like glazes that were pink, green, and bluish purple respectively. Finally, A semi-matte stoneware glaze with high spodumene content was created with two specific color variations
ContributorsVilen, Zachary Kwochka (Author) / Beiner, Susan (Thesis director) / Steimle, Timothy (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / School of Molecular Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
Art history, while vast in scope, is a male-dominated topic. Textbooks predominantly feature male artists, and generally when artists look to the “masters,” they look to men. Although the field is becoming more diverse every day, this discrepancy in what is taught to young artists can have a profound impact on how and why art is produced. As a young female artist who is focused on my own self-identity and developing a body of work, I look to other women in art, past and present, to orient myself in the context of art history. I am interested in how these women came to terms with their identity in a field that acknowledges them less than their male counterparts, and how their self-perception is reflected in their work. Researching other women in art—for example, how do these artists extrapolate from the world around them to create, and how does their work affect their own self-identity? —has gradually shifted the way I looked at myself. Witnessing other female artists be bold with self-portraiture or brave with their honesty through art has shaped how I view myself and how I want to create art. Through employing self-portraiture in my creative practice, this project aims to utilize my personal experiences and perspectives to contemplate the way I engage with my own identity.
ContributorsWelch, Rachel (Author) / Solis, Forrest (Thesis director) / Hogden, Heidi (Committee member) / School of Art (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
This project, originally inspired by the photography blog Humans of New York, is a series of digitally drawn portraits and profiles of individuals in the downtown Phoenix area. Phoenix is a relatively young city and the city's character and style has not yet been cemented. But this city is just as lively and interesting as older, more established places and deserves the same kind of attention that people documenting their homes have given their subjects.
The profiles, which have been collected at https://rebeccaspiess.com/humans-of-phoenix-pg/, were created from subjects I met at coffee shops, art galleries, on study abroad trips and through personal research. The only criteria for inclusion in the project was their connection to Phoenix. Additionally, because of the digital nature of the portraits, I have included timelapse videos showing the process of creating each image on my YouTube channel, called Rebecca Spiess.
I want the “Humans of Phoenix” project to be like speed-dating the city, getting to know the stories and the people you might pass on the street. People love to get a glimpse into the lives of others. I love the thrill of meeting new people with great stories, and I want the readers of this project to get that satisfaction as well. And hopefully, I want these narratives to engage readers in a way that elicits empathy, understanding and excitement.
The profiles, which have been collected at https://rebeccaspiess.com/humans-of-phoenix-pg/, were created from subjects I met at coffee shops, art galleries, on study abroad trips and through personal research. The only criteria for inclusion in the project was their connection to Phoenix. Additionally, because of the digital nature of the portraits, I have included timelapse videos showing the process of creating each image on my YouTube channel, called Rebecca Spiess.
I want the “Humans of Phoenix” project to be like speed-dating the city, getting to know the stories and the people you might pass on the street. People love to get a glimpse into the lives of others. I love the thrill of meeting new people with great stories, and I want the readers of this project to get that satisfaction as well. And hopefully, I want these narratives to engage readers in a way that elicits empathy, understanding and excitement.
ContributorsSpiess, Rebecca Lea (Author) / Gilger, Kristin (Thesis director) / LaCroix, Kristin (Committee member) / Walter Cronkite School of Journalism & Mass Comm (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
Diana Holladay was a mother, sister, daughter, wife, grandmother, friend, and artist. She played many roles and impacted many lives. She sought out beauty and brought it into the world through her art. When she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease her family watched her fade away. The Diana they knew and loved was no longer there. They could not mourn the loss of her being. This creative project served the purpose of exploring Diana’s past and art in order to help her family mourn and celebrate the woman she once was. The goal was to create a final art show and living memorial for Diana. The final art show would foster a sense of family, appreciation, and love. She had hundreds, if not thousands of sketches and pictures. She had a huge collection of painting left behind. During this project they were collected and organized for the show. Diana died exactly one month before the show. Her death brought her family together and helped them mourn. The art show was held in the Sedona Art Center where Diana once held art classes and her husband, Jim, layed the sandstone on the outside of the building. After her death, the attendance of her show nearly tripled. Hundreds of Diana’s family and friends celebrated this amazing woman. This creative project helped honor an incredible woman who truly changed lives and lead her life with love. This thesis helped us remember the woman and artist Diana Holladay was before her diagnosis and death. The final creation of this project was a website dedicated to Diana and her art and an essay describing the journey of this thesis.
www.dianaholladay.com
www.dianaholladay.com
ContributorsTiedeman, Talon Xalee (Author) / Meloy, Elizabeth (Thesis director) / Epperson, Tasili (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
This thesis explores the power of food to transcend cultural and racial borders and to act as a common ground, bringing people of all different backgrounds together. Through globalization, there is an increased movement of people from their homeland to different regions around the world and with this migration comes the spread of their culture and cuisine to new areas. This spreading of culture often creates friction and tension amongst other cultures, however as this thesis argues, with increased diversity, there is the great potential for greater interaction with other cultures and therefore greater appreciation. The key aspect of this thesis is the ways in which food can be used as a tool to overcome racial barriers and serve as a means of positive expression of a culture. I hope to show that by engaging with a culture through its cuisine, one can arguably build a greater appreciation for that culture and therefore lower their preconceived notions and stereotypes.
ContributorsZayanderoudi, Rana Patricia (Author) / Talebi, Shahla (Thesis director) / Eaton, John (Committee member) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor) / Economics Program in CLAS (Contributor) / Department of Management and Entrepreneurship (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
Global citizenship is a term that is popularly used in today's society, especially in educational institutions. I believe that many of us are not properly educated about its history and context. As a result, the term is widely misused. My intense interest in people around the world and how we are all connected in some form led me to explore the underlying meaning of the term "Global Citizen". This topic is relevant as it will create a clearer insight for students into the generically used term "Global Citizen" and will help people understand the appropriate use of the term. I incorporated research gathered from Arizona State University partners while I was studying abroad at King's College London, examples of how Arizona State University promotes global citizenship, and my personal experience of evolving into a global citizen. I have researched what the term means to international professionals, organizations, and myself, and the benefits and obstacles of being a "Global Citizen".
ContributorsOgunnubi, Victoria Folashade (Author) / Scott Lynch, Jacquelyn (Thesis director) / Niebuhr, Robert (Committee member) / Department of Management and Entrepreneurship (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-12
DescriptionThrough artist book, printed photographs, paintings, writing, and web design, August Tang deconstructed their identity as a nonbinary person. Both educational and expressive, the creative project was a manifestation of a coming out journey, affirmation of gender identity, and experiences relating to gender with friends, family, and strangers.
ContributorsTang, August B (Author) / Button, Melissa (Thesis director) / Sanft, Alfred (Committee member) / School of Art (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / The Design School (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
The tarot is a means of communication with the world. It allows readers to interpret signs from their surroundings, gather information, and use this information to make inferences about a posed question. Its origins can be found in mid-15th century Europe as playing cards with four suits commonly used for gambling. Several hundred years later during the 18th century, it began to be used as a tool for divination; the Major Arcana, a set of 22 trump cards representing various archetypes, evolved as a supplement to a new tarot that has become associated with mysticism. The tarot’s foundation is based on archetypes that build society. It can serve as a visual lens to understand the experiences, thoughts, and actions of a person posing a question, allowing the reader to offer a solution by understanding and interpreting the specific visual language of a deck.
Hinduism is one of the oldest religions in the world and one of the most practiced today. It is full of fantastical myths and heroic legends, as well as undercurrents of feminism contrasted with misogyny and patriarchy. Hindu myths are contradictory as stories have evolved over time and have been retold with millions of differing perspectives.
In my thesis, I portrayed the 22 archetypes of the Major Arcana of the tarot through the lens of Hindu mythology as well as the broader pan-Indian culture. I include ancient stories and references to modern social issues. I visually communicated the connections between characters of Hindu mythology and the archetypes of the tarot with 22 watercolor paintings. This project was an opportunity to explore both the tarot through Hinduism, vice-versa. It allowed for the development of a deeper connection with spirituality and religion, along with a greater understanding of visual communication.
Hinduism is one of the oldest religions in the world and one of the most practiced today. It is full of fantastical myths and heroic legends, as well as undercurrents of feminism contrasted with misogyny and patriarchy. Hindu myths are contradictory as stories have evolved over time and have been retold with millions of differing perspectives.
In my thesis, I portrayed the 22 archetypes of the Major Arcana of the tarot through the lens of Hindu mythology as well as the broader pan-Indian culture. I include ancient stories and references to modern social issues. I visually communicated the connections between characters of Hindu mythology and the archetypes of the tarot with 22 watercolor paintings. This project was an opportunity to explore both the tarot through Hinduism, vice-versa. It allowed for the development of a deeper connection with spirituality and religion, along with a greater understanding of visual communication.
ContributorsHarve, Prathima (Author) / Jenik, Adriene (Thesis director) / Codell, Julie (Committee member) / Zirbel, Lisa (Committee member) / School of Molecular Sciences (Contributor) / School of Art (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05