Date of Award

Spring 5-22-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Fine Arts (MFA)

Department

Textiles

First Advisor

Anais Missakian

Second Advisor

Anna Gitelson-Kahn

Third Advisor

Seth D Riskin

Abstract

This study originates from sensory experience of observing sunrises and sunsets. Although the space in which these phenomena occur remains constant, it is perceived in different ways due to changes in the light that enters the space at these times. From these sensory experiences, the study began to inquire into the relationship between reality and the ideal. From this inquiry, it evolved into an exploration of how the ideal, or utopian, could be experienced through the senses within the realm of reality.

The concept of a heterotopia, as proposed by Michel Foucault, was used to expand upon these issues. A heterotopia is a space within reality that operates according to a different order than the rest of reality. In this study, the concept of a heterotopia was reinterpreted in relation to sensation and perception. The sun was used as a pivotal sensory concept. The sun is both a symbol of the ideal, yet also a concept that is unattainable. This duality creates a state that is sensually experienced within the tension between reality and the ideal. Sunrises and sunsets, therefore, create a rhythm within this tension that allows for the expansion of perception. This concept was termed a perceptual heterotopia and was examined in relation to the theories of Kant, Merleau-Ponty, and Deleuze and Guattari.

The sensory experiences were reconstructed into spatial experiences through the use of installations that incorporated light, media, and textiles. Lightboxes that changed their light according to different gradients, diffusion, and time allowed for the transformation of space from one that was static to one that was dynamic and evolving. The duration of time in which an audience remained within the installation allowed for the expansion of sensory experiences beyond the visual sense alone.

The multisensory perceptual space that was created within this study is a heterotopia within the realm of reality. Within this space, the ideal can be experienced through the senses. The space is continually transformed through the interaction of the light, time, and materials that are used within the space. Each space, therefore, has a variety of meanings that are created as a result of the individual perceptions and experiences of the audience within the space. In conclusion, the study posited that the convergence of light, media, and textiles is a spatial language that can restructure sensation and perception. More so, the study demonstrated how art can itself be a heterotopia that allows for the experience of the ideal within reality.

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