SELF SELF | Page 37

SELF “ I went to a Catholic academy and a lot of it was problematic. My junior religion teacher said that gay marriage was wrong. I started this whole argument in class but his mindset was set in that being gay was a sin but you can ‘love the sinner and hate the sin,’ a mindset that still demoralizes and dehumanizes queerfolk. The ironic thing is that the class was called Scripture and Social Justice.” “ I wear long tees and skirts, dresses, boots. I’m about the one piece, rompers, and jumpers. They’re good for working in the shops. I’m always in a rush.” “ My practice is two weeks of thinking and two days of making. I know it sounds really hectic but the adrenaline of it works for me.” “ Some people in class critiques don’t give good feedback especially when I make cultural and religious work. Many of my white teachers really discourage me from making work about my culture and opt for metaphor so accessibility —for a mostly white Eurocentric audience— can be achieved. I want to resist the idea that just because you aren’t a part of my culture you can’t access it because within the canon of art history you are expected to be knowledgeable and aware of mainly white artists.”