Abstract

This thesis employs a research-creation methodology to examine the relationship between an artist and their body as experienced through the multifaceted role of identity. It responds to the role of agency in artmaking through the practice of performative photography while developing a series of works featuring dynamic images of the body in motion. The study examines the history of movement in photography, interpreting aesthetic outcomes and contemplation of performing for the camera. With a feminist/ethnic (Other) lens, the art practices of four performance artists from Cuba, Chile, and Colombia are explored, and their artistic approaches are observed through themes of exile, the political body, the collective body, and ritual. The research is carried out while considering how this author’s work is impacted by her identity and lived experience. The studio inquiry discusses the exhibition titled Impulse: A Photographic Exhibition on The Articulation of Becoming, where this work was presented. As a research-creation, it employs performative photography to analyze the transformative ability of art that connects the self to the collective narratives. Themes of identity and selfhood, as well as notions of the body in art, can be valuable creative access points in the domain of art education, demonstrating that art as pedagogy can bridge knowledge across disciplines, ultimately contributing to a deeper understanding of our socio-cultural contexts.