MFA Thesis: Finding a Balance
Writing an MFA thesis is a delicate balance between maintaining focus on your process and your art, while also using research and citations to put your art into a larger context with evidence as support for your claims.
Think of two extremes. People write completely narrative theses, like this one. Other people write long, well-researched art history theses, like this one. In the Lesley program you're aiming for somewhere in the middle, but you all might vary in how close they are to one or the other.
Writing an MFA Thesis
- HOW TO WRITE YOUR MFA THESIS IN FINE ART (AND BEYOND)A professor's tips and suggested exercises to help with writing
Artist Scholar: Reflections on Writing and Research by Call Number: eBookISBN: 9781841504872Publication Date: 2011Artist Scholar: Reflections on Writing and Research is part history, introduction, and discussion for artists and designers entering, graduating, and employed by the contemporary art academy in the United States. The evolution of art education in the university continues to expand in the 21st century as the variables of craft, skill, technique, theory, history and criticism shift and expand as the perspective of arts-based research is introduced into this professionalized environment. Given this context: what can M.F.A. students do to improve their understanding of writing and research without sacrificing their commitment to their studio art process? Through a series of essays, the text argues for better writing at the M.F.A. level with the purpose of becoming better artists. By contextualizing art practice in the university and providing a foundation for future artist scholarship, it serves as an invitation to artist scholars to push their work further and develop the confidence to situate their art in the university context.
How to Write by ISBN: 9780199278503Publication Date: 2007How to Write is an introductory guide to writing, aimed at people who think they can't write, or for whom writing is an ordeal. Broken down into short topic-based chapters on everything from beginning to revising, it demystifies the writing process by taking the reader through each stagenecessary to bring a piece of writing to a decent finish. The book also offers a wealth of invaluable practical considerations, including when and where to write, when to printout and when to edit onscreen, what type of pen works well for revisions, and the hazards of the paperclip.The author is a seasoned writer whose encouraging but uncompromising guidance will delight as well as instruct. Offering practical advice in a lucid, no-nonsense style, How to Write will be ideal for both students and professional people who need to write during the course of their work.
Thesis Outlines
If you aren't sure how you want to organize your thesis, try mind mapping your ideas to find connections (scroll down for videos!) or read other MFA theses to see how other people organize a thesis.
Abstract vs. Practical
Notice how all the examples below compare in their organization (check out their table of contents!), even when dealing with a similar topic or medium!
- Example: Practical OrganizationThis MFA thesis, written by Robert Bradley at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, is organized practically, with a section for each medium, a section on process, and a section on influences.
- Example: Abstract OrganizationThis MFA thesis, written by Jin Lee at Illinois State University, is broken up by abstract headings. Instead of practical headings like "Materials" "Process" "Influences" the artist uses abstract ideas as her organization, like "Beginnings" and "Being Seen".
Trauma
Notice how the two theses below both center around art and trauma, but how they organize their thesis is different.
- Ceramics MFA Thesis, written by Alex Bailey at Southern Illinois UniversityThis one has a more practical organization. It is organized based on the artist's life and the chronology of healing, with sections called "One: Lived Experience", "Two: Trauma, Damage", "Three: Mending, Coping", "Four: Restoration".
- Visual Arts MFA Thesis, written by Angel Estrella at Clemson UniversityThis thesis has a more abstract organization, with sections called 'Seeing Feeling", "The Body Remembers", and "Inside-Out". The more practical information, like clay recipes, is includes as an appendix.
Process-Based Art
If your art is very focused on your process, you may want to find a way to put more focus on that in your thesis. You can have a section of your thesis about your process but for some people their work is very process-based so they speak to process throughout the thesis.
- Digital Production Arts MFA Thesis, written by Thomas Scott Rapp at Clemson UniversityThis thesis has a very practical organization, but it's focused on the preparation and process of creating. There is a section for background, one for influences, and one for production, and the results aren't discussed until the end. This puts the focus on the process and technique while still designating space to discuss the final product.
- The Pain that Love Produced Moton, Barrymore A. Illinois State UniversityCheck out the section "MEANING OF MATERIALS & RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FORM AND PROCESS"
- My Culture Art in Healing Action Chavarria, Fabian. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley,Process is discussed thoroughly in specific sections like: PROCESS AND MEDIA,
MIX MEDIA, SCULPTURE, & INK ON CANVAS - Curating Memories; Art as a Collection of Loss and Nostalgia Feagin, Christle Dawn. Azusa Pacific UniversityThere are intrinsic relationships between artists, their collections, viewers, cultures, and nostalgic memories resulting from loss. This thesis probes these deep-rooted connections by examining how early traumatic experiences inform not only the objects an artist collects and uses in their art, but also how viewers and culture perceive these creations.
Mind Mapping
Mind mapping is a great way to organize your thoughts visually. There are digital tools you can use (check out this list of 5) but it's usually more effective to create one on paper by hand. They can be used for:
Studying: Map a textbook chapter or lecture notes to better understand, remember, and make connections
Writing Papers: Map out your thoughts to generate a topic or thesis question, outline your supporting research, and find connections to help you with transitions
Presentations: Present information visually, so that the audience can see how your ideas are organized and connected
See mind mapping in action: