I'm learning and I'm not afraid

41 Pages·2017·11.42 MB·English

by  Elizabeth Ann Davenport

University of Iowa
Iowa Research Online
Theses and Dissertations
Spring 2013
I'm learning and I'm not afraid
Elizabeth Ann Davenport
University of Iowa
Copyright 2013 Elizabeth Davenport
This thesis is available at Iowa Research Online: https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/2472
Recommended Citation
Davenport, Elizabeth Ann. "I'm learning and I'm not afraid." MFA (Master of Fine Arts) thesis, University of Iowa, 2013.
https://doi.org/10.17077/etd.knf18dfr
Follow this and additional works at:https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd
Part of theArt Practice Commons
I’M
 LEARNING
 AND
 I’M
 NOT
 AFRAID

by

Elizabeth
 Ann
 Davenport

A
 thesis
 submitted
 in
 partial
 fulfillment

of
 the
 requirements
 for
 the
 Master
 of
 Fine
 Arts

degree
 in
 Art
 in
 the
 Graduate
 College
 of

The
 University
 of
 Iowa

May
 2013

Thesis
 Supervisor:
 Professor
 John
 Dilg
Copyright
 by

ELIZABETH
 ANN
 DAVENPORT

2013

All
 Rights
 Reserved
Graduate
 College

The
 University
 of
 Iowa

Iowa
 City,
 Iowa

CERTIFICATE
 OF
 APPROVAL

_____________________________

MASTER’S
 THESIS

________________

This
 is
 to
 certify
 that
 the
 Master’s
 thesis
 of

Elizabeth
 Ann
 Davenport

has
 been
 approved
 by
 the
 Examining
 Committee
 for
 the
 thesis
 requirement
 for
 the

Master
 of
 Fine
 Arts
 degree
 in
 Art
 at
 the
 May
 2013
 graduation.

Thesis
 Committee:
 ___________________________________________________________________________

John
 Dilg,
 Thesis
 Supervisor

 ___________________________________________________________________________

  Anita
 Jung

 ___________________________________________________________________________

  David
 Dunlap

 ___________________________________________________________________________

  Sue
 Hettmansperger

 ___________________________________________________________________________

Susan
 White
To
 my
 closest
 friend,
 Barbara
 Davenport,

 who
 demonstrates
 warmth
 and
 extreme
 patience
 even
 when
 her
 eldest
 daughter
 is

‘in
 a
 mood’.

  ii
I
 run
 a
 tight
 ship,
 but
 I
 try
 to
 make
 it
 seem
 like
 I’m
 not
 doing
 that
 at
 all.

 -­‐Lynda
 Barry

  iii
TABLE
 OF
 CONTENTS

LIST
 OF
 FIGURES………………………………………………………...……………………………………….v

INTRODUCTION..……………………………….…………………………………………..……………………
 1

STATE
 OF
 THE
 STUDIO……….………..………………………………………………………………………2

THIS
 PLACE……………………….....…………………………………………………...……………….………..7

GET
 EXCITED
 AND
 MAKE
 THINGS……………………………………...…………..…………………….9

I’M
 LEARNING
 AND
 I’M
 NOT
 AFRAID………………………………………………………………….15

THE
 WORK..................................................................................................................................................17

ARTIST
 STATEMENT..............................................................................................................................31

NOTES...........................................................................................................................................................32

  iv
LIST
 OF
 FIGURES

Figure

1.
 Before
 and
 After……………………………...………………………………………………………..3

2. Gasp!…………...…………..….…………………………………………………………………………….4

3.
 Small
 Space………..……….…………………………………………………………………………….5

4.
 Procrastination……...…………………….…………..…………….………………………………....6

5. Seeing
 Red………………………………....……………………………………………………………...7

6. DJ
 Joni
 Mitchell……………………………..……………………….…………………………………..8

7. Home………………….…………..………………………………………………………………………...9

8. New
 Land…..……………………………………………………………………………………..……..10

9.
 Friendship………………………………………………….…………………………………………..11

10.
 Rest
 in
 Peace………...………....…………….....……………….……………………………………12

11.
 Thank
 You
 David
 Dunlap………………………...…….………………………………………...14

12.
 Untitled……….………………………….……………………………………………………………...14

13.
 Laundry
 Rack………………………………………………………………………………………....16

14.
 Theatrics………………………………..………………………………………………………….…...17

15.
 The
 Master…………………………..…………………………………………………………….…...18

16.
 The
 Soilder………………………….…………………………………………………………….…...19

17.
 The
 Future……………………..………………………………………………………………….…...20

18.
 I’m
 Learning
 And
 I’m
 Not
 Afraid……………………...………………………………….…...21

19.
 Untitled
 1……….………………..………….……………………………..…………………………...17

20.
 Untitled
 2……….………………………….……………………………..……..……………………...18

21.
 Untitled
 3……….…………………..……….……………………………..…………………………...19

  v
22.
 Untitled
 4……….………………………….……………………………..…………………..………...20

..

23.
 Untitled
 5……….………………………….……………………………..……..……………………...21

..

24.
 Untitled
 6……….………………………….……………………………..………………..…………...22

25.
 Untitled
 7……….………………………….……………………………..………………………..…...23

26.
 Untitled
 8……….………………………….……………………………..……………………..……...24

27.
 Untitled
 9……….………………………….……………………………..………………..…………...25

28.
 Untitled
 10……….………………….…….……………………………..………………..…………...26

29.
 Untitled
 11……….………………………….……………….…………..……………..……………...27

.

30.
 Untitled
 12……….…….………………….……………………………..………………….….……...27

31.
 Untitled
 13…….………………………….……………………………..…………………….…….....28

32.
 Untitled
 14……….………………………….……………………………..……...…………………...28

33.

 Untitled
 15….….………………………….……………………………..…………………………...29

34.
 Untitled
 16……….………………………….……...……………………..…………………………...30

35.
 Untitled
 17……….………………………….…………………...………..…………………………...30

  vi
1

INTRODUCTION

As
 a
 child
 I
 was
 always
 compelled
 to
 make
 ‘stuff’.

 Today
 I
 still
 can
 be
 found

kneeling
 on
 the
 floor
 surrounded
 by
 paint,
 construction
 paper,
 and
 clay.
 Positioning

myself
 in
 this
 pile
 of
 provisions
 has
 been
 a
 part
 of
 my
 daily
 regimen
 since
 the

moment
 I
 learned
 how
 to
 operate
 a
 pair
 of
 safety
 scissors.

 In
 my
 mind,
 I
 have
 been

legitimizing
 my
 daydreams
 by
 turning
 them
 into
 something
 firmly
 pasted
 together

by
 my
 own
 two
 hands.

  The
 decision
 to
 label
 my
 daily
 art-­‐making
 routine
 as
 a
 career
 was
 a
 difficult

one.

 Initially,
 I
 was
 skeptical
 about
 the
 idea
 of
 entering
 a
 studio
 art
 program
 and

terrified
 of
 being
 examined
 and
 critiqued
 by
 my
 peers.

 As
 time
 passed,
 I
 succumbed

to
 the
 constant
 daydreaming
 and
 doodling
 and
 presented
 my
 work
 to
 a
 room
 full
 of

critics.

  I
 am
 using
 this
 document
 to
 examine
 my
 journey
 as
 an
 artist.

 The
 people,

places,
 and
 events
 littered
 throughout
 it
 have
 heavily
 influenced
 the
 paintings,

sculptures,
 and
 objects
 surrounding
 me
 as
 I
 type.

 I
 intend
 to
 present
 my
 work
 in

four
 parts.

 The
 first
 section
 will
 be
 devoted
 to
 the
 State
 of
 the
 Studio,
 a
 catalogue
 of

sorts,
 documenting
 the
 accumulation
 of
 ideas
 and
 objects
 that
 make
 up
 the
 space

where
 I
 spend
 the
 majority
 of
 my
 time.

 The
 second
 section
 This
 Place,
 will
 reflect

on
 the
 pivotal
 experiences
 and
 relationships
 outside
 of
 the
 studio
 that
 have

influenced
 my
 thinking.

 The
 third
 section
 Get
 Excited
 and
 Make
 Things
 will
 attempt

to
 synthesize
 the
 impact
 of
 the
 space
 and
 the
 place
 paired
 with
 outside
 influences
 in

order
 to
 shed
 light
 on
 my
 current
 work.

 The
 last
 section,
 I’m
 Learning
 and
 I’m
 not

Afraid,
 will
 begin
 to
 outline
 some
 of
 my
 future
 ambitions
 as
 a
 painter
 and
 a
 maker.