This thesis work analyzes the quest for external validation and the perception of ideals. Non-objective paintings and textile works are filled with obsessive layers of paint or stitching, exploring competitive social behavior tendencies and efforts to build up the self with embellishment. Without a definite stopping point, each painting attempts to outdo its neighbors. This work evolved to consider the way we assess and interpret the value and ideal qualities in what we perceive. I manipulate the factors influencing the desirability of an object or situation. I use sculptural cast work to playfully flip traditional, constructed ideals to emphasize their absurdity; the flawed or scrap forms become new standards to strive to emulate and achieve. As a psychological investigation into the power of dress to affect the self and the desire for inclusion, viewers interact and adorn themselves with odd wearable textile objects, which are only befitting in an art context, while viewing the work.  Through these multiple approaches, I aim to encourage a better understanding of the common struggles related to human nature and the ways in which we are influenced by our social world. — Savonna Nicole Atkins, 2015