“American Gothic” by Grant Wood is said to have represented the American Dream during the Great Depression. The painting was made in 1930 by Grant Wood, created while he was studying at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. The piece was inspired by a gothic style church that the painter passed, similar to the one in the background of the painting. The man and woman portrayed in the painting were the artists Dentist and sister, but have no specific role within the piece. It appears that the individuals are Midwestern farmers holding a pitch fork, with expressions of neutrality and exhaustion. The colors that were used are light shades and is a visually gentle piece, seemingly uncontroversial. When the artist won the a small contest with the painting, it was disliked by the midwestern farmers because they thought the image gave them a negative representation of how they were. But when the great depression hit, the people saw this image or hard workers that maintained themselves through hard work, and that was the american dream at the time.
I want to take this iconic piece of work and apply a contemporary topic to it, and that will is the American Dream for the community identifying as transgender. What does it mean to be transgender in New York City? What does being transgender mean to those that have transitioned? How has their lives been affected by the reactions of those they know? I plan to come to an understanding of this perspective, and express my understanding through collage. The LGBT community center in New York defines Transgender as “someone who doesn’t fit within society’s standards of how a woman or a man is supposed to look or act.””ABOUT THE CENTER.” TGNC Support. Accessed February 05, 2018. on their support page. I have personally felt relatable to the definition on not conforming to societal definition of female, and have had more exposure to people who have similar understandings of themselves since I have been here. Though I will be basing my work off of the original painting, and will add texture to the piece using words from interviews that will conduct. I may add additional information and background knowledge about each individual I talk with within the work as well.
I will create this piece using images of myself that I had taken last semester for a gender exploration project of various parts of my body that divided my own image into the representation of male, female and undefined, and they will be placed to create the main body.The figure will be placed in a more relaxed stance, to show the new comfort in the body that they achieve to live in. The text from interviews of transgender individuals and self reflections that I will hand write will be placed in the background to create texture and depth in the piece. The majority of the background will be created by blue, red and pink paint that will represent the division of the body between gender. The colors are associated with the understanding of gender in our society and by using them I show how individuals can feel divided, showing how it can be frustrating to be forced into one box. It will be made with the intent to show the the complex understanding of oneself when thinking about gender and conformity. I will be using the similar objects that were in the painting and the general environment to bring back the source of inspiration.
The research that I plan to do is through personal stories that I find on YouTube, visiting the LGBTQ Community Center, and talk to people that I know identify as transgender. As I look up the videos, I am searching for people that transitioned from male to female, female to male, and those who identify as They/Them. I will also research videos of what the process is to change through medical and psychological steps. The Community Center will show me the resources that Transgender people have, and will investigate if there are any community conversations or counseling.
