Senior Thesis - 2019

Artist: Mercedez Morgan

Title: The Potential Chaos and Structure of Horses

Date: April 2019

Medium: Charcoal

Horses have been a symbol and a metaphor for the chaos and structure in my life. They are paradoxical creatures, one minute they are calm and the next minute they can have the potential for great destruction. I have found that life can be the same way. One minute life is calm and peaceful, the next minute the rug can be ripped out from under your feet, so to speak.

In these moments of potential chaos, I have found comfort and structure within the presence of my horse. He was my peace during hard times, but he is also an unpredictable creature. The unpredictability and potential chaos of horses has given me a healthy respect for them, and for life. When I am around my horse I am in the moment with him because he could change in a split second. I have learned to live my life the same way; I try to live in the moment because it could change abruptly without warning.

In this series of large scale charcoal drawings I have tried to convey these feelings of potential chaos and structure of horses and my life by giving the viewer references of the horse’s body. The compositions are cropped in close to slightly abstract the form of the horse. I want the viewer to become surprised when they discover the odd angle of the horse. The angles were captured to convey discomfort and slight unease because being below or behind a horse is dangerous, they could become flighty and potentially injure someone in the process. I also want the viewer to find structure within the musculature and comfort within the softness of the fur. I hope the take away from this series is to have a healthy respect for the potential chaos of horses after viewing these pieces, but to also feel a sense of structure and comfort within the horse’s form. The angles the horse is captured in may have these elements of chaos and structure, but he is greater than the sum of the parts. He has been a great companion through my life and has played an important role in expressing my narrative visually. I hope the viewer can see into that relationship my horse and I have.

To read my full thesis paper click the button below to download.