Queer Revolution Tarot
Queer Revolution Tarot
Everybody has parts of themselves that can’t be defined or labeled in the current languages we have, and all identities are too complex to be explained by a binary. My goal for this series is to create a deck of tarot cards that all people—cis, trans, gay, straight, agender, asexual, etc.—can use to meditate on queerness within their own identities.
My deck takes a gender-expansive view on masculinity and femininity that allows viewers to break down gendered terms into attributes present in all people. For example, the High Priestess card symbolizes mystery, esoteric wisdom, and softness. Historically these attributes have been labeled as feminine. The Sun card represents celebration, strength, the physical realm, and self-mastery, attributes that have historically been labeled as masculine. Any person, regardless of gender can identify with either, both, or neither cards.
You Control the Dream
You Control the Dream
I have explored dreams through my artwork in multiple mediums, and I knew the next logical iteration of my concept should take a digital form. This “virtual surreality” is an easy-to-navigate immersive experience. Using second person narrative and allowing the viewer to choose one of two options for each scenario, the viewer must engage personally with the digital experience. There is no end to the dream; it loops around so there are infinite ways to experience the story. The viewer must move through narratives endlessly until they choose to stop engaging.
My dreams are particularly disturbing to me. I get trapped in nightmares that seem more real than waking memories, and it can be hard for others to understand how terrifying that can be. The main goal I have for this piece is to communicate to the viewers what my dreams feel like to me. I want them to feel disconnected from reality, questioning what’s real and what’s fake. I want to engender feelings of suspense, anxiety, and fear; disorienting the viewer with sudden bursts of happiness and calm.
Contradictions are the focus of my current studio practice, and I look for visual, conceptual, and ideological dualities all around me. In regards to “You Control the Dream,” coexisting opposites create a dreamlike confusion that can be disorienting. They urge the viewer to reexamine reality, mirroring my own experiences with mistrusting reality because of my dreams.
Performance/Installation
