He, she, they, as I observed them: An exploration of gender identity and expression

My presentation will discuss gender and the male and female binary through my body of work, He, she, they, as I observed them, as well as my personal connection and background with the subject matter. Using portraiture... [ view full abstract ]

My presentation will discuss gender and the male and female binary through my body of work, He, she, they, as I observed them, as well as my personal connection and background with the subject matter. Using portraiture photography, drawing, and fabric sculpture, my work explores the concepts of gender identities, expressions, and stereotypes. By reversing the gender binary systems already in place: male and female, blue and pink, masculine and feminine, etc., I highlight the restrictive nature of the male and female gender binary. What might be seen as a “masculine” face is colored in pink tones, for example, while a more perceivably “feminine” face is depicted in blues. Portraits comprised of gendered fabrics, materials, and colors investigate outward presentation as an expression of identity while figure drawings on translucent paper look at the gendering of body parts and the assumptions that might come with physical identifiers. He, she, they, as I observe them examines expectations of maleness and femaleness and reverses them through the utilization of stereotypical gendered colors and materials.