Air-Dry Clay, Wood, Thread, Pearl Beads, White Cloth, Iridescent Fabric, Acrylic Paint, and Ink
Left Sculpture: 4” x 5” x 3”, Middle Sculpture: 5” x 5” x 3”, Right Sculpture: 7” x 5” x 3”
This work refers to the self-proclaimed “Don’t Say Gay Bill” recently put into effect in Florida. This issue resonates deeply with me as someone who is in the LGBTQ+ community. I wanted to depict the hatred and bias many people use against queer people under the guise of religion. To achieve this message, I split the sculptures into two messages: religious homophobia and the bill at hand. To achieve this visually I kept the main busts in a “pristine” white to display holy aspects along with materials that adorn the figures such as white and iridescent cloth, and pearls. Likewise, to visually depict the legal aspects of this bust, and to show the aspects of challenging and damaging.
I intentionally designed genderless forms, as to represent the community. To show that it doesn’t just affect one set group, but all. I used different faces and body proportions to achieve this idea. Another common theme amongst the three pieces is the saying, “Hear No Evil; See No Evil; Speak No Evil”. I wanted to relate this saying to the bill in a sense that essentially the Florida government doesn’t want students to “say” the word gay which in turn, means that they don’t want them to hear or see queer identities. By putting the emphasis on this phrase, the ideas of materials and facial expressions began to take form. Obviously, I wanted to show visual discomfort on the faces of the busts through various expressions of screaming or just broken-down faces of acceptance. This was to show the concern many had regarding the negative effects of what the bill stands for. To further execute this design element, I implemented the addition of fabrics and pearl beads to relate back to religious, and somewhat, Christian motifs. When deciding which fabrics, I wanted to use, I wanted to keep it within this puritanical color scheme of white to symbolize this unattainable goal those who disagree with homosexuality want us to reach.
When designing the bases, I referenced the updated pride flag. The updated version of the flag includes not just sexualities but also gender identities, which are also under attack. I found it important to represent both as many forget that trans people are more in danger regarding their safeties. Visually, I wanted to use damaged wood as to get the point across that our identities were being challenged, being fought against. I didn’t want pristine surfaces because I found that having perfect sculptures on top of rough material creates a visual contrast that supports my idea. The other main purpose I had the bases fulfill was to depict urgency with the issue. When I was creating these pieces, the bill was still being debated across the court. I wanted to show urgency and that it was a rising issue. So, I made the bases rise in a line to show that both concern and problems were arising.
Research
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/04/01/what-is-florida-dont-say-gay-bill/
Florida’s law limiting LGBTQ discussion in schools, Explained
Some major takeaways from this article are what the bill proposes and how that will affect many people in the long run. It talks about how the bill is banning conversations regarding the LGBTQ2+ community in schools between kindergarten and 3rd grade. This is already on top of sexual education being banned in Florida already. The article begins to discuss the effects it will have across many people. In the schools, many young students who are understanding themselves will lose those vital outreaches needed to help them. Parents could sue the school over the teaching. Kids will be outed, which is the main concern. Finally, in the long run, this bill is setting up many other bills across the nation. Gay rights are now under attack.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/18/us/dont-say-gay-bill-florida.html
Opponents Call It the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill. Here’s What It Says.
Reiterating some points from the last article, this one speaks on more of the school aspects. Because the bill is very “strung together”, parents could use the faulty wording to sue the school for money. The school would be the ones to cover the cost. On top of that, the school boards would have to restructure the counseling procedures put in place as mentioning queer identities would go against the legislation.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/29/dont-say-gay-bill-florida-teachers-react
‘Hurtful and insulting’: Florida teachers react to the ‘don’t say gay’ bill
This article reads more as personal experiences rather than listing out the terms of the bill. Teachers across the state have begun to see firsthand the destruction of safe spaces they tried to build for students. The teachers have called out the vagueness in the wording of the bill and that because of that, it opens the door for more bigotry to occur. The article also highlights the defamation of teachers who speak out against the bill with republicans calling them: groomers and pedophiles. The article shows firsthand how devastating this bill is.
In-Process Images
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