1 Introduction
My name is Petra Stokar.
I am studying at the Bern University of the Arts. The study program is called «MA Arts Education». This is my master thesis.
I have a disability. That's why this master paper is published in the form of a website. More about this in chapt. 1.3 Accessibility.
My master thesis is called «Painting Beyond Limits».
It is about «Playful Painting of Abstract Images with the Help of the Alexander Technique and the Methods of Matisse».
For me, painting is a way to freedom. And through my work I try to pass it on to others, as becomes visible in the movie «Self-Image: How far can one go» or the chapter 2.2 Let the Games Begin.
The Alexander Technique is a helpful method for me because it makes my movements easier and makes me more conscious of my body. See chapter 2.1.2 Alexander Technique.
Henri Matisse was a major source of inspiration as he himself was bound to a wheel chair in his last years but continued to paint and work. His method of deconstructing objects to their basic forms made them drawable with a minimum number of lines. That permitted him to work beyond the point where he could no longer paint. See chapter 4 Theoretical Work.
