Senior Project submitted to The Division of Arts of Bard College

McRae, Dorothea L.

English

Bard College

SQUEAKY CLEANSenior Project Submitted toThe Division of the Artsof Bard CollegebyDorothea L. McRaeAnnandale-on-Hudson, New YorkMay 2021AcknowledgementsMany thanks to the Art Department for supporting and guiding me throughout my time here. Inever thought that I would have the chance to become the artist that I am now.Kenji, thank you for asking questions, and not providing answers. You helped me out of mymany little holes, and gave me the motivation to complete the beast.I owe so much of this project to Roman, who provided the tools to tackle the impossible. Withoutyour help this project would not have been the same. Thank you for your dedication and care forthe car, I hope you enjoyed working on it as much as I did.Thank you Marko, for your consistent presence at the studio. I relied on your help so much thisyear, and you were always there with the solutions to my problems. Lauren, thank you forconvincing me not to gild the lily. You were right.Sam, thank you for taking me seriously and helping me change my mind.Thank you Will, my dear friend, for bringing balance and play into the studio. Celia, forchallenging me to be my best. To Luca, who is always ten steps ahead. And Isaiah, a magician ofcraft.To my bakery family: Mikee, Coco, Daniella, Ines, and Elsa. You’re the only people I want to bewith at 4am.To my friends both near and far: Maeve, Leo, Catherine, Tess, Sophie, Julia, Lili, Lincoln, Chloe,and Maggie, your undying support and guidance was more than I could possibly ask for.To my dad, the man with the biggest heart who always has the answers. To my mom, a constantinspiration, thank you for always picking up the phone. You are my best cheerleaders.To Jimmy, whom I miss dearly.This is our carwash.TABLE OF CONTENTSArtist Statement …………………………………………………………………………………..1Documentation ..…………………………………………………………………………………..3Invitation…………………………………………………………………………………………..81Although I never cared much about cars, I have always loved going to the carwash. All at once itis dark and loud. The car shakes as both its body and your own is swallowed up by a tunnel ofsuds and hot wax. It’s loud and colorful and funny and terrifying and totally out of your control.But just as suddenly as it began, everything stops.In a time of feeling cramped and suffocated by my surroundings, I dreamt of what it would feellike to be shoved into the shape of my car. Pushing against this discomfort, I created a worldwhere something like this could possibly exist. These sculptures have allowed for me toenvelope myself in isolation, theatricality, lightness, darkness, and cleanliness.Through the car wash, our vehicles have the potential to become extensions and expressions ofourselves. It’s a moment of transformation. Of slipping in and out of a void. Of making it to theother side more clean, and clear headed than you were when you began.234567

SQUEAKY CLEAN

https://digitalcommons.bard.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1311&context=senproj_s2021

SQUEAKY CLEAN

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