This paper is a critical look at video and performance arts intrinsic relationship to culture. Investigations of storytelling, personal mythology, fear, and image saturation. Think-pieces on the nature of art in an entertainment society. Juggling a brief overview of various works and their relation to over arching themes of game theory, dark humor, and fascination with media. An in depth look at the process of the thesis show, \"Defense is the Best Defense.\" Multiple takes on the thesis exhibit counterbalance the need for contemporary art to include description. This paper is a detailed look at the process of Ryan Mulligan's artwork and methods of materials. Ryan Mulligan's work takes the form of performance lectures, video, and installations. Here the intuitive is dismissed and a demystifying approach to describing production and theory bridges a gap in contemporary literature on art making. Anecdotal stories on process, desires, thrusts, and methods illuminate an any-means-necessary artistic approach.
","abstract_html":"<p>This paper is a critical look at video and performance arts intrinsic relationship to culture. Investigations of storytelling, personal mythology, fear, and image saturation. Think-pieces on the nature of art in an entertainment society. Juggling a brief overview of various works and their relation to over arching themes of game theory, dark humor, and fascination with media. An in depth look at the process of the thesis show, "Defense is the Best Defense." Multiple takes on the thesis exhibit counterbalance the need for contemporary art to include description. This paper is a detailed look at the process of Ryan Mulligan's artwork and methods of materials. Ryan Mulligan's work takes the form of performance lectures, video, and installations. Here the intuitive is dismissed and a demystifying approach to describing production and theory bridges a gap in contemporary literature on art making. Anecdotal stories on process, desires, thrusts, and methods illuminate an any-means-necessary artistic approach.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Mulligan, Ryan"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Fine Arts","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Painting and Printmaking","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Richard Roth"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2005,"date_issued":"2005-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2005-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:55:25Z","subjects":["video","new media","theory","performance art","Art and Design","Arts and Humanities"],"languages":[],"rights":["© The Author"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/1370"],"render_values":[{"text":"https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/1370","href":"https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/1370","code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://doi.org/10.25772/VX8F-E082","outbound_label":"DOI","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Richard Roth"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Mulligan, Ryan"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2014-07-09T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Painting and Printmaking"]},{"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":["video","new media","theory","performance art","Art and Design","Arts and Humanities"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["© The Author"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://doi.org/10.25772/VX8F-E082","https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/1370"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This paper is a critical look at video and performance arts intrinsic relationship to culture. Investigations of storytelling, personal mythology, fear, and image saturation. Think-pieces on the nature of art in an entertainment society. Juggling a brief overview of various works and their relation to over arching themes of game theory, dark humor, and fascination with media. An in depth look at the process of the thesis show, \"Defense is the Best Defense.\" Multiple takes on the thesis exhibit counterbalance the need for contemporary art to include description. This paper is a detailed look at the process of Ryan Mulligan's artwork and methods of materials. Ryan Mulligan's work takes the form of performance lectures, video, and installations. Here the intuitive is dismissed and a demystifying approach to describing production and theory bridges a gap in contemporary literature on art making. Anecdotal stories on process, desires, thrusts, and methods illuminate an any-means-necessary artistic approach.
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