Gendered Lists:
Feminine:
- soft
- pink
- domestic
- undermined
- emotional
- maternal
- nurturing
- youth
- innocence
- compliance
- light
- venus
- the moon
- water
- air
- pastel colors
- birds
- felines
Masculine:
- hard
- violent
- anger
- earth
- fire
- blue
- black
- rigid
- sharp
- emotional
- sun
- mercury
- rational
- irrational
- dogs
- earth tones
- brown
- camo
- dark
- seriousness
- business
- corporate
Non-Conforming:
- the middle
- both
- neither
- grey
- nothingness
- juxtaposition
- neon colors
- no color
- grayscale
- formless
- unidentifiable
- androgyny
- clothing
- objects
- shapes
- spectrum
- presenting
- mind
Self Portraits:
Feminine
Masculine
Non-conforming
Film Viewing: Paris is Burning
Watching Paris is Burning invoked a lot of feelings in me, mainly because of the themes surrounding being black and queer (gay specifically) in New York City were themes I could relate to on some level. The film followed and interviewed different people who ran or participated in former houses and balls. It was centered around the culture of drag queens and the gay community in general.
One of the first scenes that stuck out to me was when Pepper LaBeija talked about how he felt being poor, black, and gay in NYC. He goes onto say he would be so much happier if he had money, this topic is talked about throughout the film. Towards the end, he says that if had a lot of money he would share it.
The second scene that I found interesting was also towards the beginning of the film, where Pepper explains what a “House” is and so do many others. They explain that it’s a place of acceptance, where you can go and be whoever you want. It’s a place for everyone.
Another scene is when Dorian Corey is talking about the drag scene, but also just NYC in general. He even reminiscences on when he was younger and how the style of dressing up had changed. He goes onto explain how it’s not only hard to be gay, but also black. It’s an example of intersectional identities.
Peer to Peer Portrait
Initially, David and I weren’t sure what we were going to do for this project. We wanted to steer away a little from the format and do stop-motion film instead for a different feel. Our original idea was going to consist of an extreme play on gender stereotypes, but we decided later on to take on a more subtle approach. Our final project is meant to take on a more realistic approach to gender and how it plays a role in our society.
(Youtube link)
