Transcript:
within lens practices, there's a huge range of different elements that we look at as artists, but today I want to talk about the view of the binaries of provocation and vulnerability within lens-based media. On their own, they might be words you're familiar with - Google defines provocation or provocative as " causing anger or another strong reaction, especially deliberately " with the antonyms being "soothing" and "calming". I'll ask you to take a mental note of this. It then defines vulnerability as "the quality or state of being exposed to the possibility of being attacked or harmed, either physically or emotionally." with the antonyms for this being immunity or impenetrability. Once again, please take a mental note of this. So why am I speaking about them together? Surely they're opposites? Well. I hope to challenge that idea today. Not to do with linguistics - I don't believe I have the qualifications to challenge dictionary definitions yet, but to look at the idea of using these two values of vulnerability and the provocative together, and the value of keeping them in the same realm as a visual artist with a lens-based practice. To begin, I want to properly introduce myself - my name is Charlie, and I'm a queer, trans, poly, Crip artist, but I prefer the term nonsense maker. If you are unfamiliar with any of the terms I have used to describe myself, I'm here to let you know, Google is free - and has some fantastic resources on the above titles that don't require my emotional labor to explain. But in essence - my work has always been described, lovingly, by friends, family, lecturers, teachers - nearly everyone who has seen my work , as provocative. And I was wondering what this word meant. Within my work, I focus mostly on queer and trans intimacy as a disabled, polyamorous person, but with a sex positive light - my work supports that of the pleasure activism stance. So I assumed people are looking at my work and assuming that, because of its light associations with sex and kink - it must be provocative. But that's not why I create work like that. For me, reclaiming my body, celebrating the communities I'm in through looking at their intimacy from a place of beauty - is vulnerable. A few projects of mine have included light to heavy nudity - once again celebrating the bodies and lives of people within my community. And at the time I received both outcries of joy and celebration as well as concern , usually from older creatives or members of my community worried about this "exposure" of naked bodies or the beauty of the interaction with romantic intent. And I will tell you today what I told to them. To reclaim our bodies as Queer, trans , disabled, neurodivese, polyamorous, non binary , mad, sick people, is the most powerful, provocative thing I can do. The lens is an oppressive force, that can also liberate people, and allowing people in front of it who have full agency over their own, authentic representation, with a chance to see their bodies as beautiful, in the same way greek gods had their bodies carved out of stone , is the most powerful , provocative and vulnerable act I can source for them. And also by allowing myself to enact self portrait in the same fashion, is telling this oppressive force that I will not be at its hands. I will not be at the hands of someone who does not know how to represent me, or my community. And in this case. My vulnerability is not only necessary but is powerful. It is provocative. For queer and trans people specifically, in lens based practice we are often overlooked in regards to our own representation. To this day there is still not an accurate trans storyline that has broken into mainstream. For us, everything we create as independent artists must be provocative, because our bodies and existance is political. If we show our bodies to you in a field where we are never cast , where we are overlooked. It is vulnerable and it is provocative. It provokes you to ask questions that self reflect, or reflect the lack of representation in this industry. But calling back to the definitions I spoke on earlier, as provocative ,the opposite of soothing and calming. I ask you to understand, speaking from experience. That representing trans bodies, trans intimacy, the way that we are and the way we love each other - is the most soothing experience, celebrating our joy, that I can provide to my community, whilst still being provocative. And with our vulnerability in the same form of representation, we are still impenetrable, we are strong - in an industry that won't let us show you who we are. I ask you finally, to re reflect on those meanings for you. What provokes for you? What does it provoke? If I were to represent the bodies of my community would it feel provocative to you? Why? If they were reclaiming their bodies through the format of nudity in art would that provoke discomfort within you? Ask yourself why. If it provokes change in you. My work is doing it's job. What feels vulnerable to you? Maybe in your own life as well as in art. Could this thing also be provocative? Does it promote change as well as create a sense of vulnerability? Do you associate good or bad with either of these things. I want you to treat this talk as if it were a piece of art you were looking at. I have , potentially without you realising , provoked you, to think on something new perhaps , or tried to ignite a sense of change, whilst at the same time allowing you into my world, being vulnerable. These two things belong with each other. They are not only not binary opposites, they compliment each other. That is what for me, queer art is. It's time to start looking at your world with a non - binary view.