Year of Award
2023
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Type
Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
Degree Name
Fine Arts (Integrated Arts and Education)
Other Degree Name/Area of Focus
Painting
Department or School/College
School of Visual and Media Arts
Committee Chair
Jennifer Combe
Commitee Members
Kevin Bell, Sarah Jones, Diana Six
Keywords
Landscape, Painting, Abstraction, Spirituality, Nature
Publisher
University of Montana
Subject Categories
Painting
Abstract
I was raised under a doctrine of extreme truth that cast a shadow over all reality. Upon rejecting that dogma, my life became a search to replace that truth. I’ve looked for it by immersing myself in the natural world and exploring my relationship with it through paint. My landscape painting practice has brought me a wealth of experiences; however, it has not given me an answer that fills the void of my upbringing. My thesis paper is an account of the questions, research, and paintings that surround my search. Nothing, it turns out, is absolute. There is a beauty in this, a bravery. An acceptance of the unknown has brought a balance to my life and my paintings are a reflection of this balance. I blend abstract shapes with representations of natural forms in a way that conveys the incomplete characteristic of our perception of reality. Through my research I have become aware of the tendency western society has to use the natural world to represent and fulfill their interpretation of reality. This tendency has led to the abuse and destruction of natural ecosystems, a staggering loss of biodiversity, and to catastrophic climate change. This history has made me very critical of my own relationship with nature and my work has become focused on turning the genre of landscape painting towards rectifying the damage. Through my paintings I hope to influence my viewer towards a similar realization to my own, that nature is a sacred, transcendent realm that can help us accept our place in a fragmented, unknowable world.
Recommended Citation
Jensen, Eric Joseph, "Tree line" (2023). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 12071.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/12071
Included in
© Copyright 2023 Eric Joseph Jensen