Ambivalence
April 15th-17th 5-8pm
Artist Statement
With the obscure formalities it takes to be a human, societal stigmas around gender always intrigued me. I believe clothing and gestures define us as individuals but this shouldn’t create such rigid, preconceived notions for how we see each other. Moreover, through family values, I've realized how limiting certain stigmas behind gender truly are. For example, while growing up I was repeatedly told that having earrings and long hair is for girls; I had to limit and tailor certain interests due to how I would be perceived by society. How has the constant reinforcement of gender norms from my upbringing shaped me today? Being raised by a single mother, it's natural that I’ve taken a liking to both “feminine” and “masculine” qualities, which has led me to develop a more nuanced understanding of gender. I don't necessarily represent this fluidity outwardly today, but in my quest to express, I find an outlet through my muse, Nick. The odd phenomenon of seeing myself in Nick and all the different forms they take on blurs the idea of self, which becomes ambiguous to me.
In my photographic process, I want to immortalize an ambiguous subject that helps me strip the barriers and common notions behind gender-specific terms. Therefore, my photos represent a bookmark in space as these new societal concepts take shape into beings that reveal their fluidity through different means of expression. The world in which I exist is far different from what those before me have experienced, and the only form of conversation I can generate is by photographic means.
Now ask yourself: What am I expected to be?
