|
About A Life in Transition: Portraits
and Commentary
This series of oil paintings consists of twelve
portraits of two individuals as they physically transition to
align with their gender identity over a roughly three-year period.
Chris is a transgender male; Autumn is a transgender female. The
paintings are accompanied by interviews I conducted with each
person at the time of their portraits. The first interview examines
their life history in regard to profound feelings that their gender
did not correspond to their physical body, how this affected them
throughout their life, and how they arrived at the decision to
transition. Subsequent interviews consider their life experiences
during the transition process. As an artist intensely interested
in the human face, I was curious to see the physical changes that
took place in each individual over time. I also wanted to understand
why they felt compelled to change their lives so radically, and
the emotional and physical repercussions of the transition. With
this project I hope to communicate and foster a deeper understanding
of the powerful imperative felt by many transgender individuals
to do whatever is necessary to express their deepest selves in
physical form.
|
