Date of Award

5-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Art History

Department

Art

First Advisor

Stefanie Snider

Second Advisor

Sara Berkowitz

Third Advisor

Jonathan Walz

Abstract

This paper examines Patricia Cronin’s Memorial to a Marriage (2002) as a pivotal work within her artistic catalogue, one that engages deeply with themes of intimacy, identity, and social justice. Created at a time when same-sex marriage was illegal in the United States, Memorial to a Marriage represents Cronin and her partner, feminist artist, Deborah Kass, in a Classical funerary sculpture, reclaiming the tradition of public monuments to center an LGBTQIA+ experience from memory. Through a critical analysis of Memorial to a Marriage within Cronin’s broader artistic practice, this study explores how the sculpture challenges the conventions of public art and catalyzes discourse on queer visibility, social recognition, and the role of art in activism. It situates Cronin’s work within larger conversations in art history, focusing on how her approach fosters reflections on equality, identity, and representation in a public sphere historically resistant to these themes. Ultimately, this thesis argues that Memorial to a Marriage is not only a personal statement but a transformative work that redefines public art as a space for advocating social justice and celebrating diversity of human relationships.

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