Date of Award
Spring 5-30-2017
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
Department
Furniture
First Advisor
Patricia Johnson
Second Advisor
Christopher Specce
Third Advisor
Justin Sirotin
Abstract
I am interested in dialogues of connection – from our ongoing internal ramblings, to the moments where strangers do not feel like strangers, to the conversations that wander late into the night. Our connections are the foundations of the human experience; they give weight to the every-day and ground us in time and place.
Today, our digital devices have become invaluable tools for bringing people together. No matter where we ind our physical selves, we have the ability to tap into our digital worlds and access our most intimate social circles. But our seemingly insatiable desire for constant communication often alters the content of our conversations, encouraging rapid exchanges centered around control, character count, and speed.
Contemporary sociologists worry that the disjunctive communication style of texts, Tweets, and Snaps is damaging our ability to engage in focused thought and conversation - dialogues critical to the development of our relationships. If our relationships are central to the human experience, we owe it to ourselves to explore the ways in which our daily interactions can expand beyond the simple exchange of words.
Even in a digital age, there is an indisputable link between our social interactions and the physical spaces in which these interactions occur. Whether in our homes, restaurants, or on the streets, my work explores how objects within these environments can invite us to engage in internal and external dialogues. After all, our digital devices are just tools. And if it is a surface for social interaction, a printed memory, or a collection of objects that contain our own histories, we should not forget that the world around us contains a richness of other tools that can aid us in the pursuit of connection.
Recommended Citation
Li, Rebecca, "Familiar strangers" (2017). Masters Theses. 120.
https://digitalcommons.risd.edu/masterstheses/120
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.