Research Events
Please join us for our RESEARCH in the ARTS series of events:
The Arts Meet Science and Technology:
Faculty Research in the Arts Colloquium
Thursday, Nov. 14, 2-3:30 p.m. | Free Event
Thursday, November 14
2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Ruth B. Zuckerman Pavilion
This event is free and open to the public; no tickets are necessary.
The first College of the Arts Faculty Research Colloquium showcases KSU research projects in which the traditionally distinctive arts are influenced by or are engaged with methods, technologies, and approaches that have been adapted from the world of the sciences, engineering, and technology. Free and open to the public.
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Enhancing Architectural Possibilities via Coordinated Digital Models
by Jeffrey Collins, AIA, PhD
In the field of architecture, the use of digital tools for representing building proposals is ubiquitous. Modeling software is incredibly user-friendly, permitting even novice modelers to readily create parametric digital objects. However, intentionality and geometrical control of these objects is much more challenging. This situation can lead to two extremes in computational design; proposals which are too complex or those that are unimaginative or dull. Each of these outcomes are a result of the current disconnect between designer and fabricator modes of working and depicting projects. Therein, designers may be unaware of significant issues of component fabrication. Previous research established a new framework for coordination among project actors. While these issues are not isolated to a specific aspect of built work, in order to show the potential of the concept, previous research focused on a particular system; architectural precast concrete facades. Having established a new workflow, research is extended to other façade materials and assemblies by students developing analogous digital models and physical mock-ups. The focus is analysis of student work for project feasibility, comparison of design variations, and investigation of fabrication processes. The goal is to encourage approaches where materials are not just applied to final forms and digital technologies are not just used to produce final products, but instead such crucial capabilities and constraints are incorporated iteratively into design processes thereby increasing student learning regarding the implications of design decisions, details, and methods on project construction.
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Science as Process in Choreographic Research
By Andrea Knowlton, M.F.A.
While the scientific method follows a particular set of standardized procedures and steps, an artist’s methods can follow emergent and varied paths as they proceed toward final results. These methods may be as individual as the artists themselves. This presentation elucidates my own choreographic process as an artist inspired by science.
I explain and discuss the approaches I use while envisioning and crafting new choreography and demonstrate how I engage with the scientific world to establish rules, systems, and themes. Whether using the body as a sound-making device via wearable technology, examining a rare dinosaur species, or exploring the unreliability of memory through dances which decay and evolve over time, science infuses my work with inspiration and ideas that go beyond the product and into the process itself. Through video examples from staged works such as “Pulsar”, “Future Memory” and “Influential Body” I reveal a praxis that harnesses the challenges and possibilities at the intersection of science and aesthetic movement.
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Stage Makeup and Science: A teaching approach to diversity in the design classroom
By Pamela Rodriguez-Montero
The design and application of Stage Makeup is almost a ritualistic practice. The actor morphs into a character through applying paint on their face and contouring their features. It is also an intimate practice because when we look in the mirror, we not only see our reflection, but also our sense of identity that is shaped by society. Thanks to the advances of science and technology, the makeup availability and range has improved, offering a wider variety of tones and textures.
While the product availability has progressed, the challenges in the way we teach and think about Stage Makeup in terms of diversity are still present. To name a few, the lack of diversity in the textbook examples and in the beauty standards that weight on the shoulders of every student. During this talk, I share how through an understanding of the visual language I was able to deliver a curriculum that reinforces and celebrates diversity. For example, we discuss how studying the science of the skin structure contributes to a better appreciation of the richness and variety of skin tones and undertones. In the same light, approaching the study of different facial structures from a perspective of basic geometry can reinforce the students’ confidence and gave them an insight on how to accept and cherish their uniqueness.
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Searching for the Truth: Investigation into the Authenticity of the Shabtis of Khamwaset
By Flora Anthony (Assistant Professor of Art History at KSU) and Kathryn Etre (Conservator at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History)
Khamwaset, one of the sons of Ramesses the Great, is considered to be the first Egyptologist and was renown hundreds of years after his death, into the Greek period. Today his funerary figurines (shabtis) are found in museums around the world. Unfortunately, the shabtis of Khamwaset have often been faked, leading some scholars to question the authenticity of all figurines associated with this historical figure. However, one cannot simply discount all of Khamwaset’s shabtis because there are numerous forgeries. Multiple methods are needed to evaluate the authenticity of these often faked objects. In this study the authors used two complementary approaches; an art historical analysis and a scientific analysis. These different approaches helped the authors gain a clearer understanding about the various origins of these objects.
College of the Arts Guest Speaker: Jan. 28, 2020
Lecture and Discussion:
The Aesthetic Brain by Dr. Anjan Chatterjee
Dr. Anjan Chatterjee
Elliott Professor & Chief of Neurology, Pennsylvania Hospital; Director, Penn Center for Neuroaesthetics, Philadelphia
Tuesday, January 28, 2020
3:30pm - 5:00pm
Stillwell Theater, Wilson Building, Kennesaw Campus
FREE EVENT
Dr. Anjan Chatterjee will discuss his groundbreaking research using neurology to advance our understanding of the evolution, production and appreciation of art. Is art an accident of our brain function, or is it a fundamental human instinct? How do we account for art’s universality across the world as far back in time as we can record, while also accounting for its cultural underpinnings, its tremendous variety, local expression, and “art for art’s sake” property? Chatterjee explores these questions and offers new highly innovative ways of thinking about art and neuroaesthetics. Free and open to the public.
Undergraduate Research Forums
Please join us for these free, original arts-based research presentations by our undergraduate students.
FALL 2019
Department of Theatre and Performance Studies
Friday, November 8
12:00pm - 1:30pm
Wilson Building, Room 103
FREE EVENT
School of Music
Thursday, November 21
1:00pm - 2:30pm
Music Building, Room 109
FREE EVENT
SPRING 2020
School of Art and Design
Friday, January 24, 2020
3:00pm - 4:30pm
Visual Arts Building, Room 222
FREE EVENT
Department of Dance
Monday, April 13, 2020
3:30pm-5:00 pm
Chastain Pointe Dance Studios
FREE EVENT
Department of Theatre and Performance Studies
Friday, April 17, 2020
5pm - 6pm
Onyx Theater
FREE EVENT
Spring 2020 Art History Capstone
Wednesday, April 22, 2020
12:30 - 3:30pm
Wilson Building, Room 103
