Post 8: Art History/Movement

     Looking through the movements, I feel most akin to Symbolism, Queer Art, and Identity Art & Politics. Throughout my art portfolio and looking at my process with a good amount of my art, I tend to follow my emotions and reveal myself to the audience so they can understand my truth. I believe that my artwork is a combination of the three movements that I've provided because of the subject matter, my process behind it, and the emotions that come up before, during, and after. I associate with Symbolism due to the focus on emotions, feelings, ideologies, and different types of subject matters. The artworks artists have produced and the techniques and styles they used to emphasize their meanings also have inspired me. I feel as though Queer Art and Identity art & politics, correlate with each other, since it has been overlapping for years and years. For Identity Art & Politics being an umbrella term, it can be flexible with subject matters and styles.

        As of right now, the art period/movement that calls out to me more is Queer Art. Queerness is me, it's my livelihood, and I've been apart of most of my artwork because of it. I've always, especially when I was younger, want to bring awareness and normalize what it is to be human since we've been dehumanized so much, especially now. When I was younger, I knew what I felt, but I didn't understand it, hence my desire to cater into queer art to not only express what I was feeling but to educate. Queer Art provided a visual language that the community will be able to relate, especially with the unsafe conditions and consequences to be openly yourself. With things going with how it is now, many artists have been producing more queer art, but instead of being a secret, we're pushing it out in the open, not caring how uncomfortable straight/cis people feel because we're not a phase.  

"Self Portrait" by Romaine Brooks, 1923

"Act of Creation" by Taina Luna, in progress (2025)

With these pieces of artwork, it both explores gender identity but also has the complete opposite in color palettes. I was actually drawn to the grayscale and the lack of color, ironically, and the expression of the artist. The confidence and stern gaze to the audience, almost demanding for the audience to look at them. The androgyny they display in this piece plays with what it means to be a woman back in that time period, showcasing freedom in how to present ourselves. 

"The Prom Queen" by Nancy Andrews, 1991

"Kiss", by Taina Luna (2023)

I chose the photograph by Nancy Drews because of the emotions that came up. I felt happiness but the more dominant emotion was hope. This photograph is proof that we persevered and to keep finding love no matter gender. As a trans-man, it's hard to find someone that can understand how you're feeling and who you are as a person, it's already hard with sexuality. All I wanted to express is my love for this person, for accepting me as I am. Anyone can put themselves into this situation, well people that are attracted to men, and can remember a tender and normal moment that everyone experiences.