After two long months, I have completed my regional competition piece for VASE!!!! My interview for the piece is at 9am Saturday and I’ll know soon after whether or not I qualify for the state competition in San Antonio!!!
This piece is a tribute to the Orlando shooting, fittingly titled “Pulse”. I used a fabric transfer heart on muslin to represent the vulnerability and kind-heartedness of the LGBT community and their ability to love instead of hate following the shooting. I symbolized the unashamed willingness to stand out amongst those as an LGBT member using pan pastels in the kiln-fired heart in the lower box. I also wanted to use fired clay to represent the strength and perseverance of the community following such tough times. Connecting the two hearts is a total of 49 strings (for the 49 victims) to not only represent a unity between the victims in the single event, but to also show the connectedness of the community, and how it affects everyone around the world. I used the white chess pieces to show that the victims were pure pieces in a brutal and violent game (almost like pawns). Lastly, hanging from the left side is 49 toe tags personalized with the name, age, race/ethnicity, and cause of death of every single one of the victims of the tragedy.
It honestly makes me feel like crying that I was given the opportunity to not only make this piece, but to defend it to a judge in small town conservative Texas. We’re not outcasts, the LGBT community, we’re everywhere, and we’re still to this day affected by what happened at Pulse. I’m praying that the judges see my heart behind this piece and that I’ll be given the opportunity to take it further into the state competition!!!