INITIAL IDEAS
The spine of my project was developed through being a young trans person in a society that seems to demonise my community. I’ve been eager to work on a project that could speak to an audience that feels isolated, whilst educating others of the reality of being trans.
The project topic was elastic time and I interpreted this a little differently than if it was just time. Elasticity made me think of something malleable, stretchy, as though as students we could jump back and forth with time as something non linear. I liked this idea and began to think about how my life, as a trans person, has always felt like I was lagging behind but also sprinting forward for years and only moving a few inches, along with so many other contradicting feelings. I wondered if any of my trans peers felt something similar. I began to map these ideas, getting everything out of my head and chaotically onto paper.
After I had a few mindmaps and interview questions complete, I began some basic research. This research involved looking at a number of artists that work with understanding or ripping apart time, along with gallery’s that are platforming these artists. I also jotted down some experiments I could complete and a number of words to keep me focused. I find making notes of words that pop out to me during my research process extremely helpful. This is because I typically find my head wondering off to a variety of subtopics under my main idea and going completely off track. These words are usually a general structure, allowing me space to adventure towards different elements but on the same line.
After I had an idea of what I wanted to create, I began to sketch different ideas. I became fascinated by animal heads on human bodies, incorporating queer outfits. I have always been interested in skeletons of animals but recently have found deer and lamb fun to draw. Once making these sketches, I finalised on bringing animals into the visuals.
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