This thesis will discuss the expanded field of sculpture, simulacra, digital technology, and two terms I’ve devised: the unknowable object, and echoed sites. Within these two terms, I’m concerned with the complicated relationship between humans and geology and how we extract material from the ground without reflecting on the geologic history of the site. In echoed sites I create sculptures with and without a geologic site or object, by way of digital technology. These forms display two states paradoxically in balance, where what’s presented leaves more questions than answers. Thus, as part of echoed sites, exists the unknowable object. Whereby the transmutation of two forms or materials creates uncanny objects. Ultimately, through both of these terms, I want you to realize that the machine processing of stone mimics geological processes, but at a faster rate. I’m critiquing our processes of excavating material because it’s occurring in juxtaposition to the millions of years rocks take to form. Echoed sites connect to the origin of geologic materials in contrast to their present state.
","abstract_html":"<p>This thesis will discuss the expanded field of sculpture, simulacra, digital technology, and two terms I’ve devised: the <em>unknowable object,</em> and <em>echoed sites.</em> Within these two terms, I’m concerned with the complicated relationship between humans and geology and how we extract material from the ground without reflecting on the geologic history of the site. In <em>echoed sites</em> I create sculptures with and without a geologic site or object, by way of digital technology. These forms display two states paradoxically in balance, where what’s presented leaves more questions than answers. Thus, as part of <em>echoed sites</em>, exists the <em>unknowable object.</em> Whereby the transmutation of two forms or materials creates uncanny objects. Ultimately, through both of these terms, I want you to realize that the machine processing of stone mimics geological processes, but at a faster rate. I’m critiquing our processes of excavating material because it’s occurring in juxtaposition to the millions of years rocks take to form. <em>Echoed sites </em>connect to the origin of geologic materials in contrast to their present state.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Canizales, Joseph"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Visual Art","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Graduate School of Art","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Arny Nadler","Amy Hauft","Patricia Olynyk"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2022,"date_issued":"2022-05-19T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2022-05-19T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T06:12:25Z","subjects":["geology","sculpture","land art","anthropocene","monument","the natural environment","the built environment","weathering and erosion","limestone","sculpture in the expanded field","American Art and Architecture","Art and Design","Contemporary Art","Geomorphology","Interdisciplinary Arts and Media","Sedimentology"],"languages":["English"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.doi","label":"DOI","values":["https://doi.org/10.7936/ts9d-0609"],"render_values":[{"text":"https://doi.org/10.7936/ts9d-0609","href":"https://doi.org/10.7936/ts9d-0609","code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/mfa_visual_art/9","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Arny Nadler","Amy Hauft","Patricia Olynyk"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Canizales, Joseph"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2022-05-19T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Graduate School of Art"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Visual Art"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["geology","sculpture","land art","anthropocene","monument","the natural environment","the built environment","weathering and erosion","limestone","sculpture in the expanded field","American Art and Architecture","Art and Design","Contemporary Art","Geomorphology","Interdisciplinary Arts and Media","Sedimentology"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["English"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/mfa_visual_art/9"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.doi","label":"DOI","values":["https://doi.org/10.7936/ts9d-0609"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This thesis will discuss the expanded field of sculpture, simulacra, digital technology, and two terms I’ve devised: the unknowable object, and echoed sites. Within these two terms, I’m concerned with the complicated relationship between humans and geology and how we extract material from the ground without reflecting on the geologic history of the site. In echoed sites I create sculptures with and without a geologic site or object, by way of digital technology. These forms display two states paradoxically in balance, where what’s presented leaves more questions than answers. Thus, as part of echoed sites, exists the unknowable object. Whereby the transmutation of two forms or materials creates uncanny objects. Ultimately, through both of these terms, I want you to realize that the machine processing of stone mimics geological processes, but at a faster rate. I’m critiquing our processes of excavating material because it’s occurring in juxtaposition to the millions of years rocks take to form. Echoed sites connect to the origin of geologic materials in contrast to their present state.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Echoed Sites and the Unknowable Object"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Arny Nadler","Amy Hauft","Patricia Olynyk"],"dc:creator":["Canizales, Joseph"],"dc:date.available":["2022-05-19T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["This thesis will discuss the expanded field of sculpture, simulacra, digital technology, and two terms I’ve devised: the unknowable object, and echoed sites. Within these two terms, I’m concerned with the complicated relationship between humans and geology and how we extract material from the ground without reflecting on the geologic history of the site. In echoed sites I create sculptures with and without a geologic site or object, by way of digital technology. These forms display two states paradoxically in balance, where what’s presented leaves more questions than answers. Thus, as part of echoed sites, exists the unknowable object. Whereby the transmutation of two forms or materials creates uncanny objects. Ultimately, through both of these terms, I want you to realize that the machine processing of stone mimics geological processes, but at a faster rate. I’m critiquing our processes of excavating material because it’s occurring in juxtaposition to the millions of years rocks take to form. Echoed sites connect to the origin of geologic materials in contrast to their present state.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/mfa_visual_art/9"],"dc:identifier.doi":["https://doi.org/10.7936/ts9d-0609"],"dc:language":["English"],"dc:subject":["geology","sculpture","land art","anthropocene","monument","the natural environment","the built environment","weathering and erosion","limestone","sculpture in the expanded field","American Art and Architecture","Art and Design","Contemporary Art","Geomorphology","Interdisciplinary Arts and Media","Sedimentology"],"dc:title":["Echoed Sites and the Unknowable Object"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Graduate School of Art"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Visual Art"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T06:12:25Z"}