Date of Award
5-14-2023
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
Department
Art
Advisor(s)
Robert Dacey
Abstract
This thesis explores the concept of utopia across different cultures, analyzing the ideal lands in Eastern and Western societies. The author categorizes utopian ideals into two types: Thomas More-style utopias, which aim for social and political perfection, and Arcadian ideals, which prioritize individual inner peace and escape from society. The author compares the ways of entering, the environments, the lifestyles, and the consequences of leaving mentioned in these stories to identify the visual language involved. These visual elements of ideal lands provide a solid foundation for the author's visual thesis, a video game that allows players to build their own ideal world. Overall, this paper highlights the universal human desire for a perfect world and the various cultural expressions of that desire while offering the author's own answer to the ideal land.
Access
Open Access
Recommended Citation
Luo, Lingyin, "The Utopian Quest: A Visual and Cultural Exploration of Ideal Lands" (2023). Theses - ALL. 730.
https://surface.syr.edu/thesis/730
