Date of Award

Fall 1-5-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Art & Art History

First Advisor

Nebahat Avcioglu

Second Advisor

Serubiri Moses

Academic Program Adviser

Maria Antonella Pelizzari

Abstract

Francesco Clemente’s body of work, especially between 1992 and 2014, theoretically draws from the Hindu concept of the avatāra, wherein the figures he portrays interminably exist in a state of flux and unraveling. Many of the figures discussed are inspired by Indian spirituality, mythology, and popular culture. Nonetheless, rather than comprehending them as literal interpretations, they exist through a prism of references.

The research conducted throughout this thesis combines analyses gathered from academic essays and books by notable Indian scholars, such as Jyotindra Jain and Partha Mitter. These two distinct voices coalesce to elucidate deep insight into Clemente’s aesthetic, personal, and spiritual journey in India, and the political and cultural implications connected to twentieth-century Indian art.

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