Shifting biology : an attempt at moving beyond the binary

Abstract

In this thesis I give an account of my artistic practice, with the questions and concepts that continue to influence my work. By analyzing past and current work, I connect my art to my scientific background in gender theory. The theoretical background is used to introduce questions I have struggled with, reflecting my attempts to use art as a way of better understanding myself and society. I examine if strategies of ‘resistance’ and ‘subversion’ have furthered my aim of escaping gendered expectations. Photography has become a larger part of my practice since starting my Master’s degree. I analyze how watching myself has allowed me to see a side of myself that is not confined by my apparent femininity. Considering specific performances, I recount the notion of installational performances and my thoughts around creating physical space in order to create emotional space and acceptance. I believe it is time for society to stop using biology as an excuse for bigotry, and I think affect and understanding are key to creating change. Thinking about bodies as composites rather than categorical has changed the way I see myself and given me agency to explore my body beyond a biological binary. Considering the art of drag and non-binary artists, I imagine a future with possibilities beyond the binary of female and male.Reflecting on the solo exhibition ‘Surfacing, 2020’, I consider the feedback from the critical discussion and add my own thoughts about the exhibition. Finding a paradox in the connection between the exhibition text and the physical space, I consider how the exhibition text influenced the critical discussion. I contemplate how my theory of using physical movement in order to create emotional space functioned in practice. In conclusion I reflect on the peacefulness of ‘Surfacing, 2020’, considering if inner movement might help open up conversations that I feel society needs to have.