INTRO SURVEY QUESTIONS
*LAST UPDATED 1/27/2016 @ 3:08 AM*
What is the power in the
world that you most want to transform or overthrow and why?
The power in the world that I
most want to overthrow is the status quo and expectation placed on individuals
identified bodies through and from politics, culture, advertisement,
entertainment, etc. Just because my identified body is male does not mean I
have to be prescribe to reinforced gender binaries and roles of “masculinity”
such as active, aggressive, dominant and ambitious. For female identified
bodies expectations of “feminine” are nurturing, expressive, cooperative, and
sensitive towards the need the others. Even these roles can be seen as outdated
in the contemporary society with a push for this binary to be dissolved. Men have
a greater expectation for a higher sensitivity to feelings and stronger
communication skills. Women now have an expectation for both children and a
career and the development of assertive qualities. Why are these expectations
placed on bodies? The qualities and traits I have mentioned should not be
compartmentalized. These emotions, qualities or traits are not derived from gender and are disconnected from the binaries. These expectations originate from politics, culture,
advertisement, entertainment, etc. for example the patriarchay (“government
that exclusively supplies systems created almost exclusively of male ideology
and triumph”), porn made exclusively and dominantly of male pleasure and climax
while utilizing the consumption of female bodies, advertisement and media for years have lacked equal LGBTQIA representation and often utilize stereotypical roles of marginalized groups. The hierarchal system that controls and insulates our everyday is engrained into our society because of the inundation and control of politics, societal norms, media, images, text and signs we experience everyday which is seen as satisfactory and compliant to all. When anyone counters these ideas they are seen as traitor or other. The dominant group actively /others/ entire populations of people for these reasons. "To refuse to be conscious of what we are feeling at any time, however comfortable that might seem, is to deny a large part of the experience, and to allow ourselves to be reduced to the pornographic, the abused and the absurd."
What is the power in your
life that you most want to transform or overthrow and why?
The power in my life that I most want to transform is my ability to stand up and defend what I believe in rather than be passive, silent or intimidated. I want to transform this passive power into active power. I want to practice what I preach and not just say things to hear my voice. Being concise with my language is also something I am constantly trying to edit and transform. I want to mean what I say and not just simple add more content to the world. I have sat in silence for a long time and refuse to keep quiet
What is something in your
life you want to further empower and why?
Something in my life that I want to further empower is my ability to take care of myself and care for my body rather than hurt it through 'comfort' or 'reliance' (ie. cigarettes, alcohol). My eating habits are sporadic and I can definitely tell you I do not get enough vitamins, nutrients, proteins and water that I should. I also do not work out enough even though I actively try. School is an obvious factor for me as is sleep but like I said the more I 'suffer' I feel so engrossed in my practice and what I am making that I do actively make the 'sacrifice.' I also understand how dramatic this sounds but it is really not. But, after school, my body could be my practice for a bit. (*becomes a yogi*)
What is something in the
world that you want to further empower and why?
Something I want to further empower in the world is to be less passive and aware of what they are doing. Actively assess yourself, surroundings, friends, actions, motives, feelings, ridicule etf. *SEE FIRST ANSWER*
In what aspects of your
artwork so far do you feel strongest?
An aspect that I feel
strongest about in my artwork is my ability to be vulnerable. I do not have
reservations about making myself uncomfortable or feel shame for my interests,
actions or language. I also am not afraid to admit when I am wrong or have done
wrong. This vulnerability has permeated much of my existence and helps me
understand my androgynous and queer interests. Self-objectifying the self
before the other can objectify is an act of survival as well as a power move on
the self’s part. Another aspect I feel strongly about in my artwork or even more practice-wise is self promotion. I reach out to people all the time through instagram, facebook and tumblr about various things ranging from simple conversation, to techniques used in pieces, to potential work or assistant positions. It is important for me to feel rejection and 'no' because in the end that builds the backbone for resilience and determination.
In what aspects of your
artwork so far do you feel weakest?
I know this is broad and general but in most aspects of my artwork I feel that its weak. In the sense that I still have so much to learn and consider/qualify and understand before I make a 'successful' piece of art. Once I have finished a piece, documented it and uninstalled it all I have are those pictures. When I look at the pictures a few days later I always, without failure, think to myself "what the fuck was I thinking? why did I do that? I need to do this.." I am always pushing myself to grow, read more, see more, ask more and listen more. Now thinking about an aspect of my artwork that I feel the weakest towards or about is my ability to make objects. like only objects. nothing more. no videos or projections. It never feels like enough or that I am giving enough. It does not seem substantial enough. I would love to be able to feel confident in the making of things but I always feel inadequate. I hate that I think me making videos is a cop out of some sort because it definitely is not. I think videos are objects. Me not making objects also is not a cop out because I have good building skills I used to make things all the time but I have hit this road where I just feel stumped or overwhelmed or not enough time to make these things happen (which I recognize as a cop out).
Who would you list as the
five artists (either contemporary or historical) that interest you? Why?
Leigh Bowery: His creativity, shock value, performance style, collaborations and life story are immensely complex while also retaining a sublime edge that attracts and dissolves the reality that we exist in capturing peoples attentions and interests because of the cultural, political, gender and sexuality subversion. Leigh was so vulnerable and shameless. He was not caught up in other people's opinions. His collaborations with Michael Clarke are important to me. I was a dancer so seeing dance as even more of an art form before through their application and my experience offers momentum. Shock value is something that I do not think is necessary all the time but I do enjoy pushing limits.
Ryan Trecartin: Trecartin's quantity (obviously due to collaborators' help) is insane and intimidating but makes me want to consider everything about the shot down to if the cinderblocks are real or not. He is harnessing and synthesizing so much content that it is a little bit of a headache but it also makes you feel uncomfortable and anxious, maybe you will look away and then turn back because you can't help but look back. I want that moment where it, the work or the content, confronts you.
Jacolby Satterwhite: Jacolby's quantity is also immensely inspiring. I love his utilization of his mother's drawings in his most recent work. I have used my family in prior work and is something I am interested in exploring again but from a different lens amount of involvement/direction.. Jacolby also uses green screen and mo cap capabilities and programs like blender (I think) and probably Maya so those things I want to further my knowledge with. The worlds he is building interest me because space and gravity and reality are nonexistent he is making his own reality and world.
Ron Athey: I don't even necessarily like his art or mutilation art in general BUT what I take away from it is pushing the body to its limits which exists on an obvious spectrum. A lot of my videos have become about pushing my body to limits and seeing how long I can hold this pose, or putting a candle in my butthole and lighting it and letting it burn completely. These are not gore-y or even in your face graphic but you can see and understand the body being hurt and degraded.
Anna K.E.: Anna utilizes her body in most if not all of her videos that I can find online. She abstracts her body disrupting the landscape, scene or rectangle in which you are viewing it. She also uses various mediums like drawings, sculpture, installation and video together and separate which makes me want to paint more I guess or draw or even just begin thinking about those actions and mediums more actively instead of passively. Her style and palette are also heavily attractive to me it has a punch and a presence.
Name two of the favorite
artworks you have ever seen?
This is a hard question. I
remember one of my first pivotal experiences with art was the Picasso exhibition at
VMFA when I was a junior in high school, it left me speechless. The depth,
amount and spectrum of work was enamoring and utterly inspiring. I saw Samara
Golden’s The Flat Side of the Knife at
PS1 and again was left speechless. Technically, conceptually, installation-wise
I was overwhelmed. I reached out to her and worked with her when I was in Los
Angeles. She is a truly inspiring, caring and soft individual. I saw a group
show at The Kitchen called No entrance,
No exit with Anna K.E., Alina Tenser and Viola Yeşiltaç.
Specifically, Alina and Anna were utilizing projections and screens and they way
they were implementing them was fresh and innovative and got me excited
about the idea and possibilities of videos, screens, projections and
consumption of this media.
Are you indoorsy or
outdoorsy?
I identify as and with both.
What subjects in the world
outside of art most interest you?
Subjects outside of art that
interest me on a personal level, in no particular order, are cooking (quiche
enthusiast), working out (yoga, running, bicycling, swimming), reading
(fiction, nonfiction, theory (queer, feminist), philosophy (aesthetics,
metaphysics), journals (gender, sexuality and class), biographies (activists,
artists). Outside of a personal level I’m interested in volunteer work with
youth specifically LGBTQIA youth and the role the arts play in youth within
educational institutions.
Name three people that are
no longer living and are not artists that interest you and why?
Ron Hubbard-I watched Going Clear which is about Scientology which after I told a few friends that my new partner practiced Scientology they advised me to watch this film. There are parts in the film of Hubbard being interviewed and holy shit he is crazy and absurd and sort of brilliant but in an obvious exploitive, fantastical, grandiose manner. He also made people believe in a random new 'spiritual' 'religion' or whatever you want to call it, which is the most craziest part. And then when he was being investigated by the government for not paying his taxes he got on a ship and sailed around the globe....who the hell does that? He is insane.
Name three living individuals
who aren’t artists who interest you and why?
Chris Kraus- I read one of Kraus's book last summer called 'Video Green' which dealt with the revival of the LA art and music scene, her adventures in kink, cruising and BDSM, life and death and art history mixed with moments of anecdotally passages about random relationships she has had with people. She weaves all these topics and interests so easily into one another and the text never feels disjointed or random there is a flow. There is also this criticalness of self and surroundings that is intoxicating to me.
Paul Hamm- Paul Hamm was my favorite gymnast growing up. He is effortless on the rings, p bars and floor exercise flying so gracefully through the air. Being a gymnast, let alone, a gymnastic olympian takes a lot of strength, discipline and pushing and understanding your body. I am interested in how far we as people can push our body physically before it responds back or cracks.
Michael Warner-Warner is the author of Fear of a Queer Planet and is considered one of the founders of Queer Theory. Warner wrote Fear of a Queer in 1991, 3 years before I was born. Reading his texts makes me feel so alive and I relate and can understand and sympathize. He interest me because of his writings, topics and discourses but also because of the time period AND if I gave that book to my mom and dad and asked them to read it they would be blown away and just unaware of that whole infrastructure controlling the world which really just blows me away.
How is your work political?
My work is political because I am taking stances or rather proposing questions about the structure of our society and value/moral system. Most of my work deals with politics towards agency over any physical body not identified as the status quo or dominant group. My work is political because I am investigating ideas about white privilege, oppression, sexuality and gender binaries very forwardly and potential at face value. There is a push though on my part to mask these things with serene surroundings and calming audio or soothing palettes. I really need to locate that middle ground where I am inserting concept with action through aesthetics all in one or separate and come together.
How do you use social media
in your life? Do you want more or less?
I utilize social media
everyday of my life. It has connected me with people I would have never known
about or even thought about exchanging dialogue with. The potential for
discourse is insane. The amount of educational and factual information that you
can digest is spell bounding for me. Obviously, the sheer quantity, influx and inundation
of media on these platforms are problematic because the black hole effect it
creates. The copy&paste and share society is now. I want to find a balance with
social media. Make it less about numbers and more about communication and
connection with other people, galleries, museums, spaces, artists, performers
and activists.
If everything goes you’re
the way you wish it would at this moment, what will you be doing two years
after you graduate?
If everything goes my way
after I graduate I will have hopefully been to a few residencies and continue
to develop my practice. I hope to begin exhibiting my work and performances
with galleries located anywhere. I hope I will be living in Los Angeles with my
partner. I hope to have my own living space and my own studio space. I hope to
expand and develop new (and formed) relationships with people. I hope to create
discourse. I hope to focus more on my health and well-being.
Does gender play a
conscious role in your work? How?
Gender plays a conscious role
in my work but through me actively trying to dissolve the binaries. Gender
binaries are constructed for the heterosexual society to help create
compartments. I identify, practice and understand(ing) the androgyne
[non-binary gender identity associated with androgyny]. The androgyne is
understood through lived experience, discourse and mentality, not just
decoration or appearance. It is an acute awareness to self in relation to the
other. There is a difference in what a subject “does” and what a subject “is.”
How does your race and
issues surrounding race influence your work?
My white privilege is
something I have dealt and deal with within my practice. How do I de-privilege
my inherently born privileged body is a question I ask myself and consider a
lot in relation to my performances and work. Through these actions I hope they
begin conversations about the power structure of community, state and nation as
well as the patriarchy. How can this privilege an power be reassigned and
redistributed into a new hierarchal scale based on emotions, on morals? I think
about unearned systems of dominance and privilege, which are delivered and
assigned through race, gender and/or sexuality. The privileged groups (white
privilege) unawareness and un-acknowledgement of their privilege perpetuate
ideas that everyone shares the same amount of privilege or that it does not
even exist at all. This invisibility, from the dominant group, creates and
reinforces a status quo or “normal” life, an idealized human expectation.
Members of dominant groups are conditioned to not see themselves as privileged
because they are able to identify the only more blatant forms of discrimination
enacted against marginalized groups. Privilege is actively reproduced and
distributed by the privileged dominant groups. I am also aware of the
intersection between where oppression and privilege exist. When individuals are
unable to recognize their privilege because they are so focused on their
oppression they become unable to recognize their role in keeping others
subordinated, silenced and suffocated.
What is a physical material
that you have worked with that feels more powerful than your body?
A material that I have worked
with that feels more powerful then my body is molten hot bronze, aluminum or
tin. The process of pouring metal controls you. You walk and move its way.
What is a social material
or subject that you have worked with that feels more powerful than your
autobiographical experience?
A social subject that is powerful to me is power of the erotic and agency over body. The Uses of the Erotic by Audre Lorde is among some of the text I read and sourced. Also, vulnerability and shame.
Is your sexual orientation
something that figures into your work? How?
Me being gay and queer play a
vital role in my work and practice. All of my work deals with my sexuality and
on a larger scale with expectations placed on any body other than heterosexual
specifically homosexual. A concept I explored in one of my videos was that
positions aren’t people and people aren’t positions. Just because my identified
body is compartmentalized within the lgbtqia community, as “twink” does not
mean I identify as one. A twink is "The quarry of a homosexual
prostitute (male); a man willing and ready to become any dominant man's
'partner' in Wikipedia’s terms. Submission and dominance are not derived from a
body type, rather a mentality or simply a desire to be penetrated. Even certain
homosexual kinks are deemed unfit by psychologist upon which one can be
diagnosed with an ‘illness.’ And what majority group of people deems these acts
unfit? Heterosexual people dominated by heterosexual men. Me being queer and
gay are intrinsic aspects to my identity and how I interact with the world and
is something I am proud of not because it makes me “different” that’s not real
but because I can feel so full and comfortable with what I want and need from
another human and the ability to not feel shame or disgrace in that.
Self-closeting is a reality some people face and something I hope I can help to
shift in the future through volunteer work. Yes I can marry whomever I want now
but there is still so much work to be done within the lgbtqia community,
specifically for transgender-identified bodies. Even further, black transgender
identified bodies.
How do current events
affect the way that you make art? Give an example?
This question is one of the
last ones I answered because I would like to think I make work about current
events but I don’t think I do. I think some of work responds emotionally and
reactionary to current events in some form but its not directly utilizing these
events. Current events, technology and goods are important and of interest to me
and I definitely want to utilize more of these forms of information and events.
Do you use art history as
an ingredient in your work? How or why not?
I used to think utilizing
art history as an ingredient in work was a problem but now I am so excited
to utilize past works, ideas and people as a way to add more flavor to my
work. I definitely do not actively implement it but I have become far more
aware of history in relation to my own practice. It also is not a
problem to be inspired by others work and to utilize it in my own practice though. It
furthers a conversation and idea and begins a web of interconnection between
artists from all walks and places.
Does your lack of sleep
make you feel stronger or weaker?
Stronger.
What is your fantasy
working/studio environment? Where is it and what does it look like?
I really dislike talking in
fantasy terms (ha ha) BUT I would have a designated space for a green screen and studio
lights to do performances for videos. It could be in Los Angeles, New York City,
Rural farm/ranch land, Overseas in Europe (Brussels, Berlin) or maybe Mexico
City? Anywhere? I would die to have a computer and computing system that can
handle intense 3D renderings and video editing capabilities so the programs
don’t unexpectedly quit or are unable to render because of disk space. A lot of
natural light is a positive. A space for woodshop tools, materials and an
overall work space would also be a positive but making things happen with what
you have is also an exciting idea for me. Working from a place of speed,
frantic-ness and desire to create are things that ultimately do interest
me. ALSO: A FAIR AMOUNT OF PLANTS and some type of fish.
Do you want to make a lot
of money in your life? Why? How would you ideally like to make that money?
I would be lying to you and
myself if I said I would not like to make a lot of money or even enough to live
~comfortably~ whatever that means. Having the ability to make my ideas and
dreams come to reality will obviously take monetary value, time and hard work.
This does not mean living in excess. I try to practice conscious living and not
living outside of my means but if one has a lot of money they
inherently/subconsciously probably/most likely live outside of their means.
Ideally, I guess, I would love to make if off my art or in an art related field
(gallery or curatorial) but am not opposed to doing odd end jobs unrelated to
art or sculpture to make a living. I just do not believe anybody will want to
buy the videos or objects I make.
How do you think about your
diet? What is a typical day look like in terms of eating and drinking? Do
you see that as a personal or social choice?
I think about my diet quite
often. It’s important to eat healthy and understand where the food is coming
from. But financial reasons stunt those things
from happening a majority of the time. I rarely eat a balanced breakfast; I
usually have coffee to wake me up and either a banana, yogurt or cliff bar.
Lunch is usually non-existent. Dinner is usually some form of protein, veggie
(fiber, protein, healthy goodness) and complex carb (pasta or rice). I do
actively drink water throughout the day, which helps with keeping me full and
hydrated (great for the skin). I think eating for me is both a personal and
social choice. Socially I go out to eat with my friends but I have a say in where we eat and what I eat while I’m there. I try to eat
organic and local as often as I can. I also only try to go to locally owned restaurants.
Can you name three specific
experiences your have had in your life that you would be curious to transform
or feed into an artwork?
I remember being 8 or 9 and strutting
out of gymnastic practice at this gymnasium called ‘All-Star Gym’ in Shirley, New York on Long Island. I had just landed my first back
handspring and HAD to call my grandmother to tell her the news. So I grabbed my
mother’s cell phone out of her purse and climbed in the car to call my grandmother and tell her what happened and just the amount of excitement I had was enormous and thought she would feel the same but it was not reciprocated. at all. It let me down. Another example was my first sexual experience with a male
when I was 13. We were both heterosexual at the time. It was July 4th
and I went to his house after we watched fireworks. We watched Knocked Up and
then went to bed and I remember he was in his bed and I was on the ground and
he asked me how big my penis was and if he could touch it. Of course I said yes
because I was/am gay and he gave me a hand job and did not want anything in
return. After I climaxed he was different about the whole experience and never
really talked to me again. My last experience is when I was a child (4 or 5) I
would force my two female cousins to sit down with me so I could paint their
nails. They did not ask for it or even necessarily want it but I desired so badly
to be a nail technician.
Identify some aspects of
your past work that people have challenged/had problems with that you want to
confront this semester?
One question that gets
brought up is the scale of my work and the shift in scale that my installations
have. I want to really begin utilizing scale more and having the bodies or
objects in the videos be larger then the viewer. Through this scale shift a relationship to scale will be generated between the bodies and figures being projected and the viewer’s body in the room. Also
qualifying and further understanding my use of space and why objects are arranged a certain way. Do I utilize objects in a space to visually look the ‘best’ or does my use of space indicate larger
ideas about force, control, spatial signifiers or public vs. private secotrs?
Identify some aspects of
your past work that other people have found interesting, inspiring, or
provocative that you to further pursue?
By using my body,
specifically my nude body, people find it provocative but not sexual or
shocking but rather a way to strip myself down and having nothing to hide behind. People outside of the art community find public nudity to be such a taboo. Another aspect is my use of green screen and world
building, creating spaces, and mashing/collaging spaces together. For some reason, even
though I think my editing skills are crap, people believe and buy into the
spaces and begin to understand them as reality. I find this
intensely interesting because I am not trying to fool anybody because it is obviously edited but that suspension
of space and even time excite me (7th or 8th dimension I
think).
What general conversations
about peers work have you felt lacking and want to pursue (ie. To think more
about politics, history, materials, form, techniques, influences, etc)?
A major conversation that
continually goes unacknowledged is the authorship of work. A majority of my
peers make work about their lived experience and identity yet during critiques these vital topics are either never talked about or are only talked
about by a few people because a majority of the class is unwilling to talk about and confront any issues outside of themselves (and their
born privilege). These “uncomfortable” conversations about racism within the
institution, community and world, heteronormativity and the LGBTQIA community
are necessary and vital to have and create discourse. By unwillingly un-acknowledging these factors
it is dehumanizing and erasure to these artists. It reinforces a status quo and stereotype of bodies and
dialogue in the Western world and institution.
Hippies? More or Fewer?
Indifferent
Do future technological
developments excite or scare you? Or both? How?
Future technological developments
excite me more than they scare me but there is a hint of apprehension. The way
we consume media and information is something I utilize in my work, practice
and everyday life. Then what we do after we consume this information is also of
interest. Through developments we will no longer utilize a tactful viewing
experience the experience will now be lived. Our bodies and technology will
experience a commensalism relationship, where our bodies are helped and the
technology is neither helped nor harmed. Outside of our relationship to
technology will change, technology, as a medium in art is the most exciting. 3D
rendering software, 3D printing, CNC/plasma cutting, green screen/mo cap
capabilities, video camera capabilities and video editing software will all
develop and become far more sophisticated, user friendly and applied to areas
like medicine and transportation (they are 3D printing organs like wtf?). To
think that a 3D printer will be a norm in every household is laughable to some
but an actual reality.
Name several artists that
you have come across in the past year that you want to learn more about?
(in no specific order):
Juliana Huxtable, Felix Bernstein, Meriem Bennani, India Salvor Munuez,
What aspects of these
artists work would you like to engage with your own work?
Both India Salvor Munuez and Juliana Huxtable I would both identify as a spectrum of things alongside artist and fit into a category all their own. They are muses. India is a succesful actress, performer, model, radio host and zine producer. Juliana is a successful poet, model and DJ. Juliana effortless utilizes text in her art work which on its most basic level is something I want to start activating more in my practice is writing/text/books/poem. India is an amazing performer from what I have seen and has become apart of this amazing collective of performers that are all her close friends. JEALOUS AF!!!! Her performances, from pictures, deal with the body, contact improv, dance, character and set building, rituals and much much more. Meriem Bennani's work is riddled with dark humor. Her most recent show at Signal Gallery in Brooklyn utilizes these two mapped projections that where on inverted pieces of foam, wood or some rigid material. Her use of material and projection and the relationship they were having was inspiring and captivating. Begin to disrupting the expectation of the screen. Feliz Bernstein is hilarious to begin. His sense of humor and attitude are inspiring in the performance realm. He reminds me of a lesser Trecartin with his face makeup, speech articulation and the synthesizing of pop culture and the 'now' generation. Bernstein is also a poet, writer and critic which again interest me on the baseline level of publishing my writings. Bernstein's poems are dark and rich of heavily melancholy diction. Depictions of the perfect life gone astray or askew. Also obviously queer/gay text. Bernstein is very open about it and that is something I also do in my practice.
List five questions that
you want to fuel your work?
1. How do you activate/disrupt your body in space and site? How do you inspire others to activate/disrupt their body? How do you respond: mentally, physically, bodily, dialogue etc?
2. How can you disrupt the expectations and experience of the screen?
3. Is the arrangement of objects, screen, projectors and cords considered and utilized in a successful way?
4. What limitations are placed on the body to alter the way in which you do a task, move in space, exchange dialogue? Why?
5. Disembodiment, disembodiment, disembodyment
