Detail View: Graduate Thesis Collection: A Portrait of a Place: An Exploration of Southern Identity

Title: 
A Portrait of a Place: An Exploration of Southern Identity
Creator: 
Shoshani, Maya Eliya (Maya Eliya Stein)
Subject: 
Thesis (M.F.A.) -- Painting
Subject: 
Savannah College of Art and Design -- Department of Painting
Rights: 
Copyright is retained by the authors or artists of items in this collection, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.
Abstract: 
"This body of work is driven by a need to capture the true meaning of a place, to create a well-rounded portrait of a city with all its inner contradictions. In this work Atlanta’s identity is explored through its architecture, materiality and history from the perspective of an outsider. The paintings mark a culmination of a slow process of exploration with different techniques and materials to reflect the complexities of contemporary southern identity in the co-called 'New South.' My process is driven by a faith in a communal space that exists as part of a communal consciousness. This consciousness reveals itself in different vernacular forms like language, architecture and signs, which I incorporate into my work. I aim to communicate with the viewer, in particular the local viewer, by using cultural signifiers that evoke a common space or hint at a familiar setting."
Abstract: 
Keywords: meaning of place, portrait of a city, architecture, materiality, history, contemporary southern identity, vernacular, cultural signifiers
Publisher: 
Savannah, Georgia : Savannah College of Art and Design (Atlanta)
Date: 
2017-02
Format: 
PDF : 26 pages, color illustrations