Identifier
etd-04122007-151353
Degree
Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
Department
Art
Document Type
Thesis
Abstract
"Hallowed Halls: Abandoned Schools of Louisiana" is an exploration of the remnants found in vacant educational institutions around the state. With the use of color and black and white images, I deal with my own memories of grade school by recreating the vibrancy and color I remember with the poignancy of those things and places that remain. These objects and spaces speak of an interaction with society and emit a history of the complex relationship between people, and the places and things that were once a part of their lives. The images are meant to suggest a contrast between what were once bustling hallways and cafeterias and the now eerily and empty spaces that are coated with sickening layers of dust and mildew. The black and white and color images are not meant to juxtapose each other, but to coexist, fill in where the other cannot. The color images remind the viewer of the vibrancy these schools once had; bright colored lunch trays, orange desk chairs, green chalkboards and the roll down maps where each continent is defined by its own bold hue. The black and white images suggest the more desolate side of abandonment. The monochromatic palette depicts the more institutional feel of each environment and the images become less nostalgic but more disturbing. They remind the viewer that though these were once lively places for children to grow and learn, they now contain only remnants of their past.
Date
2007
Document Availability at the Time of Submission
Release the entire work immediately for access worldwide.
Recommended Citation
Greathouse, Lauren Q., "Hallowed halls: abandoned schools of Louisiana" (2007). LSU Master's Theses. 1523.
https://repository.lsu.edu/gradschool_theses/1523
Committee Chair
Michael Book
DOI
10.31390/gradschool_theses.1523