Keywords

Friendship, Tribute, semiotics, humor, Love, Art

Abstract

In art, there lives a gift of transcendence with power to transport the viewer into another realm of thought and imagination beyond the limitations of our physical world. This thesis, Magic in the Margins: A Painter’s Ode to Love, Loss, and Laughter, is an exploration of the ways art can serve as both sanctuary and vessel for storytelling. Satire is used to criticize vices, and subtle humor is my tool to resonate serious content necessary for authentic self-reflection. I am investigating how to use painting as a means to make deeply intimate and visceral connections. Each canvas exploring the innermost, magical mindscapes, that are portals for escape, peopled with figures that border on magical realism – an art form that portrays alternate time and alternate spaces in various ways simultaneously. This expansive body of paintings is a celebration of life deeply emboldened with themes of love, loss, humor, friendship, family, artistic iconography, Americana, and the Florida landscape. It is a tribute to my home and those that have been a part of my story. My work seeks to transform everyday moments into magical spaces, where the ephemeral innocence of childhood, the weight of loss, and the beauty of human connection coexist.

Completion Date

2026

Semester

Spring

Committee Chair

Carla Poindexter

Degree

Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.)

College

College of Arts and Humanities

Department

School of Visual Arts and Design

Document Type

Thesis

Identifier

DP0053213

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