ADAD FINAL
Major Work
Concept Statement
To explore gender non binaries I used a series of experiments. I began by thinking about the shape of a bust, a non gendered shape and a vague figure, similar to my first project looking at vagueness to evoke thought from the audience. I wanted to use a bust as it is seen as a silhouette of a figure, no gender will ever be assigned to a bust. My first experiments I wanted to try different materials and methods. I wanted to try methods such as sculpting and sewing, or painting to create a physical final product rather than using illustrator or computer methods which I usually rely on. I found sculpting the Styrofoam was too flimsy and just crumbled not resembling any form. Then I used cardboard to create a set of busts but this just couldn’t come together to create a final major work it felt lacking and unexciting. Finally I wanted to work with the idea of a wall hanging. I experimented with multiple fabrics and colour combinations, continuing with the shape and idea behind the human bust. I thought about how gender is visually identified, through colour and clothing. Women are depicted through stereotypes in pink and in dresses and men, in blue and in long pants. I also thought about how to communicate the delicacy of the topic, I then looked t using bubble wrap but thought this created a less light hearted tone to the work. I used a range of four small scale experiments to find the best way to convey a message about non binaries. Finally I used a white sheer fabric, with ragged edges to enclose a range of colourful busts, representative of gender diversity with the same colour scheme of my first poster, resembling the colours of the gay pride flag. This also being a commentary on sexuality non binaries as well as gendered non binaries. The edges of the sheer fabric have been dyed in food colouring. Half the boarder is died blue and the other half is died pink to represent the stereotypical gender binaries. By enclosing the busts between the dyed fabric, the statement I am making is that gender diverse people feel trapped by the stereotypical gender binaries. The ragged edges are demonstrative of how raw the topic is and how gender stereotypes are old and worn out.
When researching gender non binary art, I stumbled across 'Sleeping Hermaphroditus' a Sculpture by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. This really intrigued me and made me think and explore perspective. This is what provoked me to experiment with a wall hanging. I was thinking about perspective and it was only through the process of creating that my experiment developed into a enclosed piece. Originally I wanted to have two perspectives one side being the stereotypical gender binaries and the other being the reality of a gender spectrum. During the creation of the work I realised that it would be more effective for the hanging to be one sided, and hung in front of a window to really see the busts inside and the colours of them in contrast to the white of the outter fabric.
My other inspiration came from Constantin Brancusi's 'Princess X' 1915- 1916. Brancusi believed that he created the essence of a woman but to many people the sculpture was lewd and represented male genitals. This to me was another example of perspective and was representative of non binary art. This sculpture drew on my how I approached the last topic and the use of vagueness but helped me think about the representations of men and women.
Bibliography.
https://www.louvre.fr/en/oeuvre-notices/sleeping-hermaphroditos
https://www.artsy.net/artwork/constantin-brancusi-princess-x
http://www.artinsociety.com/the-controversies-of-constantin-brancusi-princess-x-and-the-boundaries-of-art.html
