Abstract Expressionism has been influenced heavily by the popular theory of America’s undying, pr... more Abstract Expressionism has been influenced heavily by the popular theory of America’s undying, progressive spirit, originally conceived by Frederick Jackson Turner and given its most potent form in Western films. Turner’s “Frontier Thesis” was embodied in stories of John Wayne and other cowboy heroes taming the supposed edges of civilization. The mythic West as constructed by Turner and these films cemented American identity as one of exploration and innovation, with the notable condition of Indigenous Americans ceding their sovereignty. While Abstract Expressionism was commonly connected to the mythic West through the origin stories of Jackson Pollock and Clyfford Still, the critical understanding of this movement as the height of painterly achievement built on Native American precedents evinces a deeper connection to Turner’s popular Frontier theory. As critics like Clement Greenberg cast flatness as the last frontier of painting, and as artists like Pollock and Barnett Newman claimed Nati...
The concept of “immersion” or “immersive art” has various precedents in art history; however, in ... more The concept of “immersion” or “immersive art” has various precedents in art history; however, in the past decade or so, “immersive” has taken on a very specific meaning as art collectives have used this word to distinguish their large-scale, often multi-room environments. Installations like Meow Wolf’s Convergence Station (2021) and Prismajic’s Shiki Dreams (2020-2021) represent the collaborative effort of large teams of artists working with both traditional media and digital technologies to create bizarre, narrative-driven experiences. There has been limited scholarly attention on these spaces, perhaps because of these punk collaboratives’ explicit attempts to turn away from a “fine arts” label. Some critics look down on these experiences for their overt assimilation of pop-cultural tropes. However, the continued production and popularity of exhibits like these in recent years invites an inquiry into whether their strategies of “immersion” have something to do with aesthetic experience. After visiting these exhibits and conducting interviews with two of their chief creatives, I would propose that the Surrealist poet André Breton’s theory of “surreality” creates a theoretical foundation for the experience of Convergence Station and Shiki Dreams. Walking through these environments, the viewer continually dances between the physical space and the imaginary narrative until the boundaries between the two are blurred, and surreality is achieved. The language of Surrealism offers an entry point into these novel spaces, but it does not define them as solely Surrealist: as these spaces are uniquely enabled by the technology and media of the twenty-first century, they represent an entirely contemporary movement.
Capstone project for the completion of my degree in Modern and Contemporary Art History through Azusa Pacific University, 2022.
Abstract Expressionism has been influenced heavily by the popular theory of America’s undying, pr... more Abstract Expressionism has been influenced heavily by the popular theory of America’s undying, progressive spirit, originally conceived by Frederick Jackson Turner and given its most potent form in Western films. Turner’s “Frontier Thesis” was embodied in stories of John Wayne and other cowboy heroes taming the supposed edges of civilization. The mythic West as constructed by Turner and these films cemented American identity as one of exploration and innovation, with the notable condition of Indigenous Americans ceding their sovereignty. While Abstract Expressionism was commonly connected to the mythic West through the origin stories of Jackson Pollock and Clyfford Still, the critical understanding of this movement as the height of painterly achievement built on Native American precedents evinces a deeper connection to Turner’s popular Frontier theory. As critics like Clement Greenberg cast flatness as the last frontier of painting, and as artists like Pollock and Barnett Newman claimed Nati...
The concept of “immersion” or “immersive art” has various precedents in art history; however, in ... more The concept of “immersion” or “immersive art” has various precedents in art history; however, in the past decade or so, “immersive” has taken on a very specific meaning as art collectives have used this word to distinguish their large-scale, often multi-room environments. Installations like Meow Wolf’s Convergence Station (2021) and Prismajic’s Shiki Dreams (2020-2021) represent the collaborative effort of large teams of artists working with both traditional media and digital technologies to create bizarre, narrative-driven experiences. There has been limited scholarly attention on these spaces, perhaps because of these punk collaboratives’ explicit attempts to turn away from a “fine arts” label. Some critics look down on these experiences for their overt assimilation of pop-cultural tropes. However, the continued production and popularity of exhibits like these in recent years invites an inquiry into whether their strategies of “immersion” have something to do with aesthetic experience. After visiting these exhibits and conducting interviews with two of their chief creatives, I would propose that the Surrealist poet André Breton’s theory of “surreality” creates a theoretical foundation for the experience of Convergence Station and Shiki Dreams. Walking through these environments, the viewer continually dances between the physical space and the imaginary narrative until the boundaries between the two are blurred, and surreality is achieved. The language of Surrealism offers an entry point into these novel spaces, but it does not define them as solely Surrealist: as these spaces are uniquely enabled by the technology and media of the twenty-first century, they represent an entirely contemporary movement.
Capstone project for the completion of my degree in Modern and Contemporary Art History through Azusa Pacific University, 2022.
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Capstone project for the completion of my degree in Modern and Contemporary Art History through Azusa Pacific University, 2022.
Capstone project for the completion of my degree in Modern and Contemporary Art History through Azusa Pacific University, 2022.