Date of Award
5-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts
First Advisor
Joseph Weber
Second Advisor
Lacey Minor
Third Advisor
Michael Wartgow
Abstract
This project explores self and ego dissolution through painting, engaging with Buddhist notions of no-self (Anatta), Christian Mystical union, and Jungian psychology to challenge the idea of a fixed identity. Through portraiture and figurative representation, the work visually explores impermanence and the tension between the individual and the collective consciousness, utilizing transparency, multiplicity, and symbolism. This research is grounded in a multidisciplinary approach, synthesizing visual art, philosophy, and psychology. By integrating Eastern and Western philosophies, this work expands the discourse on identity in contemporary art, contributing to broader conversations on the self and the ego within wisdom traditions and psychology. This research positions art as a mode of inquiry, where the act of creating becomes a means of investigating the self, impermanence, and the interconnected nature of the human experience.
Recommended Citation
Gonzales, Joseph, "Unveiling: The Exploration of the Self and Ego Dissolution" (2025). Theses. 1389.
https://digitalcommons.lindenwood.edu/theses/1389
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.