Date of Award
Spring 5-10-2022
Degree Name
Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)
Restricted/Unrestricted
Restricted
Abstract
I reveal the performative nature of identity by acting as different characters in installations. The obviously artificial nature of these characters and scenes further reflects the constructed nature of our everyday. By then adding elements of the fantastical, I envision a new reality that is devoid of heteronormative classifications. In Costume Box, I place my work within the context of queer theorists Judith Butler, Jack Halberstam, and Susan Sontag, as well as contemporary artists Lu Yang and Cindy Sherman.
I use a definition of queer that decenters identity. To me, “queer” is not simply short-haired dykes and stolen kisses at the cruising spot. It’s a mode of being that, to quote bell hooks, is “at odds with everything around it and has to invent and create and find a place to speak and to thrive and to live.” (hooks, panel discussion)
Recommended Citation
Cramer, Lena, "Costume Box" (2022). Bachelor of Fine Arts Senior Papers. 95.
https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/bfa/95