Research into ideas about queerness, transness, sexuality, disability, and race directly fuel my artistic interests. First, I have included a guide on terms related to queer and trans identities; if you are unfamiliar with more specific terms, you may want to check that out before reading any of the essays.
Queer/Trans FAQ
This document is meant to serve as an informational guide for anyone unfamiliar with information about the LGBTQ+ community. The first two pages consist of definitions. The actual Frequently Asked Questions begin on Page 3.
Thesis Paper - bodymind: exploring a trans disabled present
This paper foregrounds themes of gender, race, and identity and relates them to Graham's artmaking. The use this to build interventions in transgender and disability theory through examining language in relation to painting on atypical surfaces.
Critiquing the Work of Jenny Saville
This article argues for a comprehensive understanding of the implications of the use of transgender and intersex subjects in the work of Jenny Saville. She is often praised for her feminist work wherein she paints cisgender female subjects in such a way that diverts the male gaze. However, she does not exclusively work with cisgender women; she has also worked with transgender and intersex subjects, citing their use as different than that of her cisgender female subjects. This article analyzes the narrative that Saville’s use of these subjects creates and its consequences.
"We're doing less than fucking ourselves real"
This essay argues for the necessity of talking about the sexual aspects of transgender identity, avoiding sanitation, despite the global increase of right wing ideology and the wave of anti-trans politics in the Unites States.
Un-Defining Lesbianism
This essay analyzes the historical gendered space of lesbianism, arguing that lesbianism inherently fits outside of of Western (heteronormative) gender, emphasizing that lesbians have never neatly fit into the category of "woman." Through this historical analysis, I aim to make more space for gender-nonconforming people under the label of lesbian and refute TERF (Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminist) ideas of lesbianism
Autistic Representation in Media
This essay describes and analyzes the importance of accurate queer and autistic representation through the medium of Fantasy High and Fantasy High: Sophomore Year, two seasons of a Dungeons and Dragons actualplay show. This essay demonstrates how the specific world-building of this show allows for hyper-effective representation and lays out symptoms of autism and how they are fulfilled by this representation,
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