IconII

IconII

We are the writers of our own history
We are the witnesses of change
Both good and bad
And we are taking part in it ourselves
We record the timelines
And we make men into immortals

What is the most important event of your lifetime?

We are living in the history books of our children
We are on the edges and in the margins
We are writing the stories that they will study one day
What legacy will you leave for them?

We are fighting to offer them a better world
Just as our parents did for us
And their parents for them

Take up arms, be the catalyst
Burn down the bureaucratic hypocrisy that controls our lives
Write your own story to pass on to those who need it most
Just like we have needed the stories of those before us
Pass on the strength that you have pulled from your predecessors
Light a fire in the hearts of a new generation

Write a story of revolution
Write a story that you can be proud to look back on
Become an immortal in your own right

First, I would like to discuss the title of this piece. It is titled “IconII” because it is the second icon in the series. Where “IconI” was based off a religious icon, this piece is based off a pop icon. Presidents in the modern day, and throughout history have been a part of pop culture. Obama is no exception, especially among the youth of today. Obama’s online campaign and mobilization of youth voters contributed greatly to this fact. Queer art often focuses on politics, and the ways the government is working and changing. The fact that Obama has been elected is monumental. It is one of the biggest and most historical things to happen in my lifetime. This fact makes me reflect on Dorothy Allison’s recent visit to our campus. She told us that we are writing history right now. We have to keep record of our lives so we can teach the generations after us about them. This is a small part of my own record keeping.

November Update

November 1
Brain storming 1 hour
Self portrait- Sarah’s beard and makeup, no other covering?
Portrait series?
Gender identity- photomanip combining male and female parts (find people to photograph (art and sindu? Justin and elaine?)
Bi- painting shadowy figure playing claw game with men and women stuffed animals inside, addresses biphobia
Lady in red painting
Gender roles- putting traditional men and women in the “wrong” settings
Something with Timm!

November 3
Love Library Research 1 hour
Searched and Checked out books:
Blake, Nayland, Lawrence Rinder and Amy Scholder. In A Different Light: Visual Culture, Sexual Identity, Queer Practice. San Francisco: City Lights Books, 1995.
Horne, Peter and Reina Lewis. Outlooks: Lesbian and Gay Sexualities and Visual Cultures. New York: Routledge, 1996.
Hovey, Jaime. A Thousand Words: Portraiture, Style, and Queer Modernism. The Ohio State University Press, 2006.
Sherry, Michael. Gay Artists in Modern American Culture: an imagined conspiracy. University of North Carolina Press, 2007.

November 5
Obama Painting Concept and Sketching 1.5 hours
I decided to start a painting of Obama. Queer art often focuses on politics, and the ways the government is working and changing. Also, the fact that Obama has been elected is monumental. It is one of the biggest and most historical things to happen in my lifetime. This fact makes me reflect on Dorothy Allison’s recent visit to our campus. She told us that we are writing history right now. We have to keep record of our lives so we can teach the generations after us about them. This is a small part of my own record keeping. I wrote a bit of poetry to go with this painting, and I think I might add some of the lines to the background of the painting itself.

Finally, I'll leave you with an exerpt from the written piece as well as some photos of the sketching stages of the painting.

We are the writers of our own history
We are the witnesses of change
Both good and bad
And we are taking part in it ourselves
We record the timelines
And we make men into immortals