Thresholds focuses on liminal spaces, moments of change, and those who cross these boundaries. For instance, transitions from the old to the new, unconscious to conscious, the known to the unknown, or where man meets nature. Sometimes, I think of them as a threshold where both sides are trying to cross simultaneously, but the door is only big enough for one to fit. The scenes in these paintings focus on the figure set in the contemporary world, referencing symbols of classical paintings, mythology, and philosophy.
The scenes are dynamic and driven by the expressiveness of the human figure and the use of environmental storytelling. They are executed in a classical style, melding past and present. This work is an exercise in rediscovering a sense of wonder in our world, the grandeur of nature and symbolism found in work from artists like Peter Paul Rubens, Diego Velasquez, and Frank Frazetta—themes of heroism, romance, adventure, tragedy, and the enduring appeal of the imagination. The stories contain timeless messages and imagery that remain relevant today.
","abstract_html":"<p>Thresholds focuses on liminal spaces, moments of change, and those who cross these boundaries. For instance, transitions from the old to the new, unconscious to conscious, the known to the unknown, or where man meets nature. Sometimes, I think of them as a threshold where both sides are trying to cross simultaneously, but the door is only big enough for one to fit. The scenes in these paintings focus on the figure set in the contemporary world, referencing symbols of classical paintings, mythology, and philosophy.</p> <p>The scenes are dynamic and driven by the expressiveness of the human figure and the use of environmental storytelling. They are executed in a classical style, melding past and present. This work is an exercise in rediscovering a sense of wonder in our world, the grandeur of nature and symbolism found in work from artists like Peter Paul Rubens, Diego Velasquez, and Frank Frazetta—themes of heroism, romance, adventure, tragedy, and the enduring appeal of the imagination. The stories contain timeless messages and imagery that remain relevant today.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Blank, Dagon"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Fine Arts","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Art","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Chris Talbot","Shaun Roberts","David Lewis"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2025,"date_issued":"2025-05-08T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2025-05-08T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:30:49Z","subjects":["Oil Painting","Allegory","Thresholds","Storytelling","Mythology","Figure Painting","Fine Arts"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/etds/665","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Chris Talbot","Shaun Roberts","David Lewis"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Blank, Dagon"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2025-04-29T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Art"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Fine Arts"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Oil Painting","Allegory","Thresholds","Storytelling","Mythology","Figure Painting","Fine Arts"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/etds/665"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Thresholds focuses on liminal spaces, moments of change, and those who cross these boundaries. For instance, transitions from the old to the new, unconscious to conscious, the known to the unknown, or where man meets nature. Sometimes, I think of them as a threshold where both sides are trying to cross simultaneously, but the door is only big enough for one to fit. The scenes in these paintings focus on the figure set in the contemporary world, referencing symbols of classical paintings, mythology, and philosophy.
The scenes are dynamic and driven by the expressiveness of the human figure and the use of environmental storytelling. They are executed in a classical style, melding past and present. This work is an exercise in rediscovering a sense of wonder in our world, the grandeur of nature and symbolism found in work from artists like Peter Paul Rubens, Diego Velasquez, and Frank Frazetta—themes of heroism, romance, adventure, tragedy, and the enduring appeal of the imagination. The stories contain timeless messages and imagery that remain relevant today.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Thresholds"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Chris Talbot","Shaun Roberts","David Lewis"],"dc:creator":["Blank, Dagon"],"dc:date.available":["2025-04-29T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Thresholds focuses on liminal spaces, moments of change, and those who cross these boundaries. For instance, transitions from the old to the new, unconscious to conscious, the known to the unknown, or where man meets nature. Sometimes, I think of them as a threshold where both sides are trying to cross simultaneously, but the door is only big enough for one to fit. The scenes in these paintings focus on the figure set in the contemporary world, referencing symbols of classical paintings, mythology, and philosophy.
The scenes are dynamic and driven by the expressiveness of the human figure and the use of environmental storytelling. They are executed in a classical style, melding past and present. This work is an exercise in rediscovering a sense of wonder in our world, the grandeur of nature and symbolism found in work from artists like Peter Paul Rubens, Diego Velasquez, and Frank Frazetta—themes of heroism, romance, adventure, tragedy, and the enduring appeal of the imagination. The stories contain timeless messages and imagery that remain relevant today.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/etds/665"],"dc:subject":["Oil Painting","Allegory","Thresholds","Storytelling","Mythology","Figure Painting","Fine Arts"],"dc:title":["Thresholds"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Art"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Fine Arts"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:30:49Z"}