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With a grandfather who was a prominent general during the Armenian Genocide inflicted by Turkey in World War I, Sara Nersesian ’06 (Sparta, N.J.) has always been interested in hearing stories about her father’s side of the family.
She is gaining a greater understanding of her ancestors through an independent study of Armenian artist Arshile Gorky that seeks to connect the influence of secular and religious Armenian iconography with his abstract expressionist years.
“My project allows me to discover those stories culturally and historically, rather than just personally,” says Nersesian, a double major in art and English. “In doing so, it will not only examine the artistic breadth of Gorky’s career and view his work from an art historical point of view, but will also biographically analyze Gorky’s life.”
“His personal life, like most artists’, manifested itself in his paintings, particularly his tragic childhood and the horrors of the Armenian Genocide,” she adds. “His relationship with his mother and sisters played a vital role in Gorky’s creative process and, artistically, his relationships with his contemporaries fostered his abstract expressionist years.”
Nersesian also is examining Gorky’s attempts to separate himself from his heritage for much of his life and his desire “to reacquaint himself with his heritage and thus himself” in the 1940s.
“The late years brought forth his most personal and progressive paintings, which played a crucial role in the creation of abstract expressionism,” Nersesian says, explaining that the “biomorphic shapes [nonrepresentational forms that resemble living things in shape or appearance] and sharp black lines” of his later paintings “take a deeper and more personal root, for they echo and call to mind icons and motifs found in ancient Armenian art.”
Nersesian enjoys the learning process and writing a comprehensive thesis on Gorky’s Armenian influence.
“I am excited by what it means to research, to piece information together like a puzzle, to revise something over and over in order to get to the heart of its meaning,” she says.
Nersesian adds that her adviser, Robert Mattison, Metzgar Professor of Art History, urged her to expand a paper she wrote about Gorky during her sophomore year.
“This project was nearly two years in the making,” she says.
Nersesian says Mattison encouraged her through each step of the process.
“He is very qualified to be helping me with this [research],” she says. “Dr. Mattison also encourages me to pursue other opportunities such as internships, conferences, and scholarships. He gives me a great perspective of what I can do with a major in art history.”
Mattison has authored four books. He is curator of more than 25 exhibitions, and has shared his research in many academic publications, including book chapters and articles. He has led students on study-abroad trips to Vienna and the Soviet Union and has received a number of honors and fellowships, including the Thomas Roy and Lura Forrest Jones Award for excellence in research and teaching.
Nersesian also has found help from Terese Heidenwolf, associate director for information and instructional services at Skillman Library.
“I was only partially aware of the resources available to students within Skillman and through interlibrary loans,” she says. “From a research perspective, Lafayette is a positive environment for a project like this. Also, the library staff is warmly willing to help with anything. And the College is placed between New York City and Philadelphia; it is nice to have the options of both.”
Nersesian, who “would like to avoid cubicles” professionally, explains that she chose to major in art with a focus on art history “simply because I fell in love with what it means to examine art – where it came from, what it symbolizes, the aesthetic and tangible qualities of the art itself, and its international role. Lafayette’s art facilities are truly wonderful, and the art history department is a gem in that it does not fear change. It is constantly making new goals for itself and honing relationships between students and faculty.”
Nersesian is head resident adviser for Watson Hall, Kirby House, and Soles Hall. She is a writing associate, head of Students and Professors Engaging in Active Kommunication, and works in the residential life office. She studied abroad in Florence, Italy, during the fall semester of her junior year.
Independent studies are among several major programs that have made Lafayette a national leader in undergraduate research. The College sends one of the largest contingents to the National Conference on Undergraduate Research each year; 39 students were accepted to present their research at last year’s conference.