Camouflaged Bodies: Neon Tendencies

Graduate Thesis Or Dissertation

Citations

Citeable URL: https://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/graduate_thesis_or_dissertations/rf55z931j

Abstract

My art practice investigates how humankind has disrupted and intervened in ecosystems across North America. With specific insight into the hunting industry here in the United States, I research how marginalized groups such as Queer people are intervening and disrupting heteronormative white male-dominated spaces. Using my experiences within the hunting community and through my own Queer identity, I aim to highlight the “Queer Hunter.” Pockets such as these in the Queer community bring niche and underrepresented people together, and my practice seeks to elevate this specified group.

In addition to acknowledging historical references of Queer hunters and artists who have utilized their practice to empower marginalized communities, it is imperative to recognize the multifaceted dimensions of Queerness within contemporary society. Queerness transcends traditional notions of sexuality and gender, encompassing a spectrum of identities, experiences, and expressions that challenge contemporary normative binaries and hierarchies.

This thesis is centered on my journey as I navigate and reassess my own Queer experience within the context of my hunting story. Through creating three distinct structures encountered and utilized during hunting expeditions in Texas, I delve into themes of identity, belonging, and self-discovery. Camouflaged Bodies: Neon Tendencies serves as a platform for me to reflect on my life as a Queer man through the distinctive lens of the hunt.

Creator