Headspace

Author

Katrina E. Kauffman

Abstract

Headspace is a contemplation of the dynamics and labor of thought. As someone with ADHD, dysgraphia, and dyslexia, my thought process is often circuitous yet cyclical. This thesis will explore the overlap between ritual and hyperfocus as a facet of artistic practice as well as their impact on physical and emotional equilibrium. By personifying the three proposed stages of memory by the Cognitive Load theory through the performance of repetitive tasks like making chewing gum, paper, and ink by hand, I both exemplify my neurodivergent brain structure and the reformatting my neural pathways undergo to conform to neurotypically inclined society. In building this extrapolation of my brain as a papermaking studio in gallery, I also grapple with the concept of “making as medicine”— interrogating my relationship to the expression of curiosity through labor and if my predisposition for hyperfocus is helping or hindering me. By pulling back the curtain on my creative practice in this way, I invite the audience to walk through my neurodivergent experience and contemplate their own relationship to thought and memory.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

People with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder; Neurodivergent people; Art therapy; Thought and thinking in art; Video art; Performance art; Papermaking

Publication Date

11-8-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Student Type

Graduate

Degree Name

Fine Arts Studio (MFA)

Department, Program, or Center

Art, School of

College

College of Art and Design

Advisor

Denton Crawford

Advisor/Committee Member

Amy McLaren

Advisor/Committee Member

David Schnuckel

Recommended Citation

Kauffman, Katrina E., "Headspace" (2024). Thesis. Rochester Institute of Technology. Accessed from
https://repository.rit.edu/theses/11971

Campus

RIT – Main Campus

Plan Codes

FNAS-MFA