Date of Award
December 2016
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
Art History
First Advisor
Jennifer Johung
Committee Members
Elena Gorfinkel
Keywords
bodies, embodiment, interactive art, language, technology
Abstract
This thesis essay and accompanying exhibition examine the capacity of interactive art to stage situations for participants to explore embodiment. In presenting the four-part interactive suite "Body Language" by Nathaniel Stern, the exhibition invites viewers to engage with digital projections that track and respond to movement by producing animated text and spoken utterances. Through the juxtaposition of motion performed by the viewer’s physical body with computer-generated words and speech, "Body Language" explores the complex ways in which the body and language depend upon each other to create and communicate meaning. This essay also proposes that the gallery uses its power as a trusted cultural institution to construct language that shapes how audiences understand art.
Recommended Citation
Hendrickson, Kara, "Meaning in Motion" (2016). Theses and Dissertations. 3271.
https://dc.uwm.edu/etd/3271
Included in
Communication Technology and New Media Commons, History of Art, Architecture, and Archaeology Commons, Other Education Commons