About this thesis: This thesis was inspired by my love of oil painting, particularly in the Impressionist style. It is something that I have wanted to write for a long time. Through my research over the years, I have often felt that there was a correlation to how the Impressionist painters who came of age during the Industrial Revolution reacted to a sense of dramatic societal change and the way that present day Millenial artists have adapted to the technological revolution. The effect of such shifts on the way we work and the way we produce artwork is a worthy and fascinating pursuit of study. The following thesis examines historical and contemporary influences, techniques, technology and theories on the theme along with documentation of my body of artwork during this time. Thank you for reading & special thanks to my husband, family, friends, mentors along the way and of course the Word Revolt team! ~ Theresa Rykaczewksi