Say It.
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”
The
overall piece, titled Say It., refers to the self-proclaimed “Don’t Say Gay
Bill”. Recently put into effect in Florida, this issue resonates hard with me
as someone who is in the LGBTQ+ community. Regarding the sculpture 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 the main two
messages I wanted to get across: 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 cloth,
iridescent cloth, and pearls. Likewise, to visually depict the legal aspects of
this bust and to show the aspects of challenging and damaging, I focused on
creating bases from worn down wood filled with gashes and holes. I then covered
these bases in the current version of the pride flag using a combination of
acrylic paints and inks.
When designing the busts, I
wanted to go with 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 these looks. 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 Floridian
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.
Lastly, when designing the bases,
I always knew I wanted to add the updated pride flag as to really drive home this
message. This 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 mostly 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 bases because I found that having perfect sculptures on
top of rough material creates this visual contrast that really 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.
Process
Images
