CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE
LAYERS OF PERCEPTION
An abstract submitted in partial satisfaction of the
requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in
ART
by
Mary Elder Maag
May 1987
The abstract of Mary Elder Maag is approved:
Bruce Everett
Norm
California State University, Northridge
ii
Dedicated to
THE FIVE
Karyn, Paul, Peggie, Douglas, Andrew
iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
APPROVAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ii
DEDICATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
iv
ABSTRACT • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • . • •
1
ILLUSTRATIONS:
Bicentennial
5
Five ................................................. .
7
Desert Valley ........................................ .
9
Hard Choices ..................... .
11
Critique ............................................. .
13
Fat Lady ............................................. .
15
Abortion
17
Soul . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
19
Einergence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
21
Requiem for a Mother . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
23
Little Experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
25
Little Experiences #5 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
27
Love and Marriage:
iv
ABSTRACT
LAYERS OF PERCEPTION
by
Mary Elder Maag
Master of Arts in Art
Life is a constant search for corrections.
Any
course of action will be continued in a straight line
unless examination and pressure cause a redirection
of focus.
This is a law of physics equally applicable
to human behavior.
We must, therefore, scrutinize
our existence for errors and successes to aid the
most fundamental goal of humankind, to rise above
the basic cycles of life and death of all living organisms
and elevate it to.some immortal plane, a spiritual
existence.
This search for knowledge and improvement, this
life force, takes place in increments of time too
short to be seen on the evolutionary scale (either
upwards or downwards) , but artists are driven to
1
pictorialize it, either literally or abstractly, even
though the final evaluation is left to history.
This drive, combined with the formal elements
of painting, is what I seek to present.
Each painting
represents an intensely personal response to a universal
experience, and universal experiences are recognized
only when shared.
If any observer has a moment of
recognition of mutual passion, then I have succeeded,
for a picture without passion is an object that will
eventually be discarded.
It does not touch our central
core and thereby, affect our life force.
The actual dynamics of the paintings encompass
the belief that humankind perceives this drive on
many levels.
In a passive or objective work we progress
directly ahead with few vectors,
demand newer or deeper meanings.
unti~
life experiences
Activity leads to
the destruction of old perceptions and the formulations
of new structures of personality, or personal life
force.
The pictures are constructed of several layers
of canvas(usually two) with the upper layer cut away
and anchored to another layer with various media and
then painted with oils.
The one layer represents what
seems to be, our reality, the other layers represent
what may yet be, our illusions.
We can endure our
reality being displaced, but to have our illusions
2
rearranged is unbearable.
For instance, every one of
us in California knows a major earthquake is in the
offing, but our illusion is that we will always have
a home here.
The truth is we may NOT have one, and
never again have one here, and we cannot, we will
not, contemplate the destruction of that illusion.
How we approach the understanding of our struggle
depends upon our perception of reality and illusion.
The illusions impel us forward, the reality anchors
us to the here and now.
The integration of these
layers of perception is a constant quest.
The basic
biological law is change or die, and humankind must
forever seek to refine its perceptions to achieve
that higher plane.
3
4
BICENTENNIAL
oil on mixed ground
39"
X
60"
X 2~"
5
6
FIVE
oil on mixed ground
39" X 60" X
2~"
7
8
DESERI' VALLEY
oil on mixed ground
39"
X
60"
X 2~"
9
10
LOVE AND MARRIAGE:
HARD CHOICES
oil on mixed ground
39" X 56" X
2~"
11
12
CRITIQUE
oil on mixed ground
39~" X
60" X
2~"
13
14
FAT lADY
oil on mixed ground
48"
X
43"
X 2~"
15
16
ABORTION
oil on mixed ground
48"
X
24"
X 2~"
18
SOUL
oil on mixed ground
48"
X
72"
X 2~"
19
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Ir
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20
EMERGENCE
oil on canvas
48" X 43" X 4"
21
22
REQUIEM FOR A MOTHER
oil on canvas
54"
X
43"
X 2~"
23
I
24
LITI'LE EXPERIENCES #1
mixed media
12~" X 16~" X
LITI'LE EXPERIENCES #3
mixed media
2"
9~" X 12~" X
2"
LITI'LE EXPERIENCES #2
LITI'LE EXPERIENCES #4
mixed media
9" X 12" X 2"
mixed media
11" X 14" X 1~"
25
26
LI'ITLE EXPERIENCES #5
oil on mixed ground
18"
X
16"
X
2"
p '
27