The Impacts of Reclaiming Hetero-centric Interpretations of Ambiguous Histories

With this project I am reinstating the ambiguity into art historical paintings that are typically read from a flattened perspective. By introducing a new extreme into the realm of historical art interpretations I am building a wider spectrum of possible perspectives for contemporary art historians. This reflection based in antiquity that I am taking on in the contemporary sphere allows for a modern re-visitation to the problematic (or reductive) viewpoints of the past in order to clarify or reinstate original ideas of vagueness or intentional ambivalence. While ambiguity serves its purpose in my series, so does the idea of appropriation; through interpreting the artists’ original intention and spinning their work to fit current issues I am both re-inscribing new concepts and reemphasizing original intents through the modernization of historical works.

For example, including images of trans individuals who’ve been murdered in the work of Jacques Louis-David I am re-presenting the timeless strife of grief and death through the societally ostracized lens of the LGBTQIA+ in order to humanize the struggle of the community frequently ignored and villainized; by emphasizing political oppression and the persistence of queerness in the face of said oppression in the work of Goya I am recontextualizing the work to serve the same critiques Goya had towards the Catholic Church’s power over the people of Spain in the 1800s; through blending Caravaggio’s representations of desire in his time period with queer symbols of desire (by means of vintage erotica) I am reintroducing ambiguity and complexity to Caravaggio’s typically reduced still life paintings.

All this being said, these re-inscriptions and introductions of ambivalence to these historical works provide a sense of openness to new interpretations of both mine and the works of the past which will hopefully amount to new discussions surrounding the works I’ve chosen to highlight. I believe that this work will build towards new investigations or furthering previous research into the lives and perspectives of the artists featured as well as the individuals included in my work in order to memorialize their lives lost to transphobia and hatred. By creating this memorial style series I am building on histories of queer artists fostering community and remembrance for those lost to societal disinterest and ignorance to the struggles of the queer community  illustrated by the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt made in remembrance of those lost in the AIDS epidemic due to the government’s intentional ignorance of the impact of the disease under the Reagan administration.