Date of Award
Winter 1-2022
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
MFA - Master of Fine Arts
Department
Fine Arts
First Advisor
Deb Todd Wheeler
Second Advisor
Stuart Steck
Abstract
The psychoanalytic concept of the Skin Ego Theory describes the skin as a passage for pain and pleasure to travel through. Remnants of external experiences as well as internal struggles affect the penetrable barrier of the somatic wrapping and leave inscriptions on the flesh. Through my work, I have been exploring the skin’s ability to protect, envelope, and inscribe meaning through my papercuts, oil paintings, and clay sculptures. I procure the marks on my body through kink and BDSM, which then influence the work. Though my bruises may fade with time, my skin becomes tougher. By recontextualizing Skin Ego Theory to fit my studio practice, I have been able to rationalize consensual pain as a way of giving me back my agency when I feel a lack of control over medically induced pain. The skin contains a living memory - an echo of past experiences. These masochistic means of both play and process drive my artmaking practice and my understanding of the body.
Recommended Citation
Nizlyn, "Wound-Dwelling: Empowerment through Masochistic Experiences" (2022). MFA in Visual Arts Theses. 16.
https://digitalcommons.lesley.edu/mfa_visual_theses/16
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Included in
Art Practice Commons, Book and Paper Commons, Fine Arts Commons, Interdisciplinary Arts and Media Commons, Pain Management Commons, Painting Commons, Sculpture Commons, Somatic Psychology Commons, Women's Studies Commons
Rights
The author owns the copyright to this work.
