Studio Reflection
- The ideas I started with were queer art as a whole and safe spaces. I had a vague idea of wanting to recreate iconic spaces kind of as a tribute but also to further explore their meaning and what they meant to me and the queer community as a whole. However, the idea just always seemed vague to me, and got harder and harder to narrow down with talking to my peers and getting feedback. I then got the idea that I am going with for my final – using text in legislature and from politicians that is very blatantly transphobic and contrasting it with images of trans women who have been murdered. I came to this idea because I felt my first wasn’t really sending a clear message, or the message I cared to send, the message I was passionate about.
- One major influence was the whole agitprop exhibit I saw at the Brooklyn Museum. It was my first time really experiencing agitprop style art, and I think that style was the best way of expressing the message I wanted to send. As far as queer artists, I am influenced by Felix Gonzalez-Torres, John Waters, Catherine Opie. I find their work very emotional which I like and I appreciate their style aesthetically.
- I am proud most of the concept and I believe my message is clear and intense – in the way I would like it to be. I believe in the end I put a lot of thought into it and got my message across the best I could.
- I would consider how it could be presented in a more public setting. I think it would be interesting to think about my piece as a public work, or something the audience could interact with. I almost see it in a graffiti-type style on a building.
Seminar Reflection
- I think the idea I started with – just an exploration of queer art – was still expressed in my final piece of writing. However, I was able to further this idea, and come up with a concrete reason of WHY I was writing about this, which turned into my thesis. Really the most helpful part of coming to my final idea was talking one-on-one.
- I believe I was able to get a thorough understanding of the topic and its relation to society, partially because I already had interest and knew some things, and partially because my interest sparked good research. I also think the analysis I provided was fully-encompassing and I left no stone unturned. Also, on a personal level, I was happy to have a better understanding of queerness and all its aspects in relation to society.
- “Not only does queer art hold historical importance when analyzing the standing of queer people in society today, but it critiques broader societal principles and understanding, ultimately pulling from the era it is created in and referencing a broader picture.” I think this sentence in my introduction is one of the clearest in showing my intent of the paper and where I stand with my thinking on the subject. Also, I think it summarizes the point I’m trying to make in a concise way.
- I would consider incorporating more artists. Also, I would look into drawing more of a connection between queer art then and today. Ultimately I decided not to do these things because I was worried that throwing something that seemed that different could mess up the structure of the whole paper.
Connections
- My seminar and studio projects are related because they both overall focus on the topic of queer art. They are also related because they both go deep into the understanding of queerness and society, and how LGBT people are marginalized. I think that my critical thinking while working on the seminar paper helped form concepts for my studio project – ex. how I took text from legislature, something so structured in the government and society as a whole. I don’t think I would have reached that point without the seminar project understanding that I had. I think my studio project helped with my seminar project because it helped me get an understanding of queer expression and what message these artists were trying to send, when aligning my intent with theirs.
