THE RESEMBLANCE OF CONDENSATION, AN UNSTABLE LOVE AFFAIR WITH THE PAST AND PRESENT

• Main Author: Dodd, Courtney
• Format: Others
• Published: VCU Scholars Compass 2011
• Subjects: Condensation; Reflection; Arts and Humanities; Fine Arts
• Online Access: http://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/2423; http://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3422&context=etd

My thesis, Condensation, is centered on seeing and the limits of our perceptions. I’m interested in the psychological and emotional effects of visual phenomena and am exploring this area through glass’s ability to reflect and obscure. I’m also experimenting with photography because it’s simply documentation of reflection. The solidity of reflection whether on glass, photography, or water is something that I’m questioning. The viewer assumes its physicality, but what we accept as conclusive is at times a construct. The palpability of reflection then disintegrates into the residue of sight. I’ve been contemplating our eyes perceptual limits and what our mind sees in relation to what’s shown. The act of seeing works as a catalyst to initiate doubt in our perceptions and reminds us of our eyes ability to reveal and conceal information. Visual shifting has led me to question the idea of boundaries in both physical and mental spheres.