Sunday, April 13, 2014

Try This: Experimenting with Gender Norms

I have an official draft of my video for the senior art exhibition piece!



And check out This photo set!



These photos are from the previously mentioned photo shoots that work to challenge bi-modal gender norms.

I had four participants plus myself. Three of them identify as cis-gendered and the other prefers male pronouns but has played within the gender spectrum. The photos display how one may begin exploring various genders' clothing and behaviors, more specifically as a young adult. I first worked with the participants as the directing artist. I had them change from the clothes they came to the project in clothes of the opposite end of the gender spectrum. Two of the men put on makeup; one as an amateur and the other had much more experience. After their shoots, I asked two of them to become the director of the shoot and I became the participant. I brought multiple types of clothing and makeup for them work with as part of the shoot.

The biggest challenges I experienced were actually technology malfunctions. A lot of hardships come from that.





3 comments:

  1. You should check out this music video

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAMWdvo71ls

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  2. I think this is a beautiful work! At times I was a little distracted by the motive, (it was most clear when it was you next to you presenting different types of gender) but every piece of it clearly made sense with your project. Do you have a more specific goal then to "break down gender performance/identity" or to make people "question gender expression"? I wonder what narrowing your project could do? It seems like I am ALWAYS trying to narrow my art ideas...I like broad general topics [of justice] way too much.

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  3. I like this project, but I think it would be a good idea to incorporate even more expressions of gender rather than just "feminine" or "masculine" if you continue this series. For example, instead of just a boy wearing girl's clothes or vice versa, you could have someone wearing both girl's and boy's clothes or wearing clothes that are gender neutral.

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