lauren perchard @lauren-perchard - Tumblr Blog

featured in cluny mcr’s glad & sorry issue, november 2017.

The experiences of isolation and inner turmoil endured by people who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual are explored through representations of the human form in states of conflict. As represented by tumultuous depictions of the body, an individual is required to function within a society that largely rejects them while constantly having to confront the negative self-perceptions that a lifetime of ostracisation has conditioned them to accept. The energy that must be expended by the individual to reject these ideas - and the resulting detrimental consequences to their wellbeing and mental health - is represented by the fracturing of the images through depictions of distorted movement.

The pieces also address the perception of and relationship with the self which is affected by sexual identity, and the ramifications of this on the ways in which the individual may feel the need to alter the way they present themselves. This could be in order to assimilate into the minority groups with which they identify or to conform to the norm so as to not be identified. Presenting as visibly queer can cause the individual to feel further isolated from wider society, even if they feel more integrated into their minority community as a result. This conflict is represented by the contorted figures, as well as the opposing colours used in both panels of the diptych. The use of pink and blue hues could be interpreted as representations of binary gender and how this is subverted by queer identity.