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Creative Project Evaluation - 500 words and final set up

Creative Project - Ryan Murphy

Throughout this module I explored the relationship between self-destructive behavior and the LGBTQIA+ community. This was leading on from the themes of last module surrounding self protection/mental health. The research portion started strong looking at a variety of artists and photographers such as Tom of Finland, Joe Orton, Kenneth Halliwell, Claude Cahun, Terence Koh and Robin Hammond. All their work is centered on queer identities and expression. Reading on, I relised that the original brief I set was no longer the route I wished to take, instead looking at the feelings of safety in queer spaces and community with the aim of creating a makeshift “safe space” in the studio.

I was most influenced by Robin Hammonds photography series, “Where Love is Illegal” . The images were heartbreaking, full of both love and pain. The horrors these people have experienced are unfortunately not new. Hate and violence towards marganalised groups is on the rise worldwide, it is no wonder LGBTQIA+ people are more likely to engage in ‘risky behavior’, there is no escape from the hate that is being emitted by the society. Hammonds series pushed me to experiment with photography, a method that I don't usually work with but I wanted to capture the importance of feeling safe in an environment. Putting power back into the spaces we LGBT+ people inhabit.

Originally I wanted to explore the aforementioned ‘risky behaviors’ that the LGBT+ community seem to be more prone to than their straight counterparts. The change of brief arose as I started reading articles that were more health focused. The tone of the articles started off factual but the deeper I delved into the more medical side (specifically sexual health). It smacked of the rhetoric that queer people are promiscuous, unfaithful and almost to blame. After all the articles I read I started to notice the situations rather than the events they described, the attacks on the LGBT+ community were coming from government, education, housing and health care. I needed to create something positive for my own mental health, surrounding myself with people that make me feel safe and photographing the spaces we were in. The community aspect is so personal, almost familial and our homes reflect that. The comforting mess that you are welcome in, our homes show off so much of our personality. For the final installation I aimed to bring that sense of warmth and safety into the studio.

Using a mix of photography, found objects and digital manipulation I created a makeshift “safe space” composed of the different addictions/ decorations that are common in queer households. Adding a mix of digitally manipulated images against older family photos to give a sense of growth to the final installation. We want LGBT+ people to survive above the age of 30.

I wanted to make my final installation as engaging as possible, adding different textures, lights and scent.Utilising all the senses I added an ashtray, which is a common sight in most queer households, the smell is unpleasant but you adjust, all of these aspects I feel add to the experience of being in a queer space without entering one fully. I employ you to sit, look at the photos, read and take them in, pick up the books and learn something.

(word count: 549)

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Final 10 images + Artist statement.

These final ten images are in response to a change in my original brief. In the original brief I stated that I wanted to explore "risky behaviour" and its association with the LGBTQIA+ community. This was leading on from my work last module that focused on the way we protect ourselves against harm. The more I read on my new theme, the more I started to notice a shift in tone from factual to accusatory and harsh. The culmination of these various inputs resulted in my need to create a warm and comforting environment, a truly safe queer space.

Using a mix of photography, digital manipulation and found objects created an area that resembles all the queer spaces that I inhabit. The bright colours and collections of quirky decorations sprinkled through with perfectly legal addictions aided in creating a fully immersive area. It is full of textures, visuals, text, scents, it feels like a very subdued version of what many of my friends will recognise as home.

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Possible images for the final 10

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Possible images for the final 10

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Development

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Possible images for the final 10

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Possible image for the final 10

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Possible image for the final 10

I have attached Stonewalls statistics on hate crime in Britain. They are shocking, all of these self destructive behaviours make more sense when the threat of someone attacking you is so high.

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Possible image for the final 10

I have also included the like to mind, the mental health charities statistics on mental health and wellbeing looking specifically at LGBTQIA+ people

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Developments

Playing with the composition and text was interesting, it does represent how overwhelming and confusing the messages you get can be.

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Developments

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Developments

I loved editing these, playing with the colours that were already in the room to add coloured layers to the images. Using the layering tool and changing the colour of different sections of the image helped to create this disorienting 3D effect while keeping the original image as the base layer.

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Developments

I wanted to work with colour and experiment more with digital media. Using different editing apps I created my own "gay lens", something that was loud and aggressive.

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Original photos

Photos from my own house.

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Original photos

uring the trip to Edinburgh for the exhibitions I saw this sticker on the back of a sign. For a minute I felt happy, it put a smile on my face knowing that someone out there was looking out for us. The more I look at it the worse I feel, at what point did children become any kind of threat?

Westminster recently showed it's fear and hatred of trans people by using section 34 to block Scotland allowing trans people to self identify. They don't want us here, we do need help right now, to be protected.

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Original photos

I remembered I had these photos of Canal Street in Manchester that I took during pride last year. I felt very confident in my identity here, surrounded by thousands of strong beautiful people but as soon as you left the street the worry kicked in, lots of LGBTQIA people in one place is a target for hate crimes or even mass attacks.

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Original photos

A lot of the queer households I know are covered in art, be it their own or others, there is creativity and personality everywhere. The colour pallets range wildly and I think if I had more time it would be fun to do a series of paintings of these spaces.

The bright colours and collections of "childish" objects are pretty common, after being up the topic with friends we discussed the possibility of it being a way of looking after our past selves. When you we were young and didn't know that we weren't as safe as others.