Making Time, Finding Space & Building Self

Abstract

In order to understand the current moment, I have been researching and dissecting our collective human history along with my personal experiences. The former gives clarity to what makes us, us. The latter provides me with qualifications to take on a subject. In this thesis I will make a case that craft, mastery and working with one’s hands has greater implications on the development of individuals and societies beyond skill obtainment and the objects produced. I will argue that through the act of making in the physical world morality and character are developed. I will present a case that physical interaction with materials and the use of one’s hands develops cognitive abilities that no other type of learning can foster. The art works presented in this paper will touch on topics of memory, personal and collective histories, past and future loss, and questions our individual and societal identities.