This domestic sublime : an exegesis in partial fulfilment of a Doctor of Philosophy in Creative Arts, College of Creative Arts, Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand

Abstract

‘My sculptural work starts with the materials, with a moment when matter, materials, objects or ‘things’, present a discrepancy, a paradox that contradicts my assumptions of truth or knowledge. In this case my work is a sculptural response to death, an interrogation of the forceful affect of the debris found at home, after my mother died.’ ‘This Domestic Sublime’, is a research project that is presented in two parts: a creative body of work, that is an installation consisting of 200 sculptural elements and a supporting thesis. The creative body of work conveys through material paradox an apprehension of mortality. In so doing, the installation contributes to the discussion of the sublime in art. The sculptural elements included in the body of work are made from debris found on a semi-rural site in Pohangina, New Zealand. These elements range in size from small egg shapes to the size of a garbage bin. The materials are preserved in resin, thus heightening the textural and visual qualities and the affects of attraction and repulsion of the sculptural elements. The final installation of the sculptural work invites a visceral engagement with the materials and mortality. The work is apprised through a theoretical lens that balances the concept of the sublime with a contemporary understanding of materiality and the domestic space, a space that is aligned with feminine experience. Mortality is framed by the material research, processes and experiments and is presented by the poetic contradictions of debris and matter that made a connection with my mother, who had passed away. This creative practice and theoretical exploration contributes to the discussion of the sublime in art, by addressing the unique poetic and material paradoxes of ‘this domestic sublime’.