Publisher
The University of Arizona.Rights
Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction, presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author.Embargo
Release after 09/02/2024Abstract
This paper provides an analysis of the MFA thesis installation, No Medicine for the Bite of a White Snake (2022). It explores the intersection of the artist's identity as an Eritrean-American through complications of the archive, the photographic gaze, and imperialist histories. This project looks at the US military presence in Eritrea from 1943 through 1977. Concepts and contexts explored through this work raise questions like: how does memory complicate constructions of identity and connection, in what ways do archives support romanticized ideation of military occupation and presence, and how does nostalgia become a tool of imperialism? These questions are negotiated through video, sculpture, and print.Type
textElectronic Thesis
Degree Name
M.F.A.Degree Level
mastersDegree Program
Graduate CollegeArt