Preferred Name
Tara Ott
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Date of Graduation
Spring 2016
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
Department
School of Art, Design and Art History
Advisor(s)
Corinne Diop
Lisa Tubach
Gregory Stewart
Abstract
In my art practice I am exploring how my “sense of self” changes as both the external and internal factors continue to shift throughout the stages of my life. I have centered on two main themes: personal experiences connected to gender that are based on the female body and changes in the formation of social identity in relation to others who are part of my life. My work mainly revolves around self-portraiture and reflections of my life, usually expressed through photography, video, painting and sculptural installations. In some bodies of work, however, I have used other women or people from my personal relationships, such as my husband or son, as the subjects. I usually incorporate staging and manipulation, with an underlying performative aspect, and the results are often confrontational and raw. I hope to capture feelings and experiences about the changing sense of self, rather than facts.
Recommended Citation
Ott, Tara J., "Shift; Explorations in a changing sense of self" (2016). Masters Theses, 2010-2019. 81.
https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/master201019/81
