Polite Society

Research Statement

My recent work has traversed the subject of surveillance within the feminized digital sphere. In my series, "Polite Society," I explore the nuances of femme-identified communication through the symbolism of tea drinking, featuring an experimental video installation with 3D printed flower-like teacups, each concealing a media screen displaying video footage. Accompanying the teacups are cyanotypes crafted with doilies inherited from family members, linking the work to my heritage and history. This interaction between mediums expands beyond traditional reality confines, enabling a comprehensive examination and reconfiguration of conventional femininity's visual lexicon.

Dissolve the subject | Tea Cup Viewing #1

Tea Cup #1 explores the currency of femininity and cultural surveillance while prompting contemplation of the complexities inherent in the subject/viewer’s relationship. Tea Cup #1 aims to illuminate the interplay between the subject’s presence and the dissolution of the scene itself and invites viewers to challenge their perceptions of the power dynamics at play.

Symbolic ORdering | Tea Cup Viewing #2

Tea Cup #2 delves into the intricate mechanisms that construct and perpetuate the symbolic order of femininity within cultural frameworks. Tea Cup #2 highlights how femininity is often standardized and manufactured, inviting viewers to reflect on the commodification, regulation, and pervasive monitoring of femme identity.

Polite Society | Unapologetically Femme Exhibition

Double Edged Critique | Tea Cup Viewing #3

Tea Cup #3 highlights the hypocrisy and dissonance of Trans Radical Feminism, confronting a crisis of authenticity within their double-edged critique of gender ideologies. The appropriated video footage draws attention to the unsettling mirroring of patriarchal behavior within their criticism of the queer community. The deliberate video manipulations magnify the discomfort and reveal the disturbing implications of adopting patriarchal practices as a guise for activism.

Sour Grapes | Tea Cup Viewing #4

Tea Cup #4 investigates the intricate themes of moralizing and policing femme identity, where surveillance acts as a powerful catalyst. The footage originates from social media accounts belonging to a proselytizing organization that secretly collected data while manipulating queer-identifying individuals and others they believed would not voluntarily enter a church.

The footage captures and distorts their data-collecting activities casting a critical lens on modern evangelism. The lines blur as the missionaries’ surveillance becomes the subject of surveillance. The data-moshed footage serves as a visual language, distorting the narratives and raising questions about the boundaries of personal privacy.

Polite Society

Research Statement

Symbolic ORdering | Tea Cup Viewing #2

Double Edged Critique | Tea Cup Viewing #3

Sour Grapes | Tea Cup Viewing #4

Fracturing the Symbolic

Signifiers