Date of Graduation

Spring 2022

Degree

Master of Fine Arts in Visual Studies

Department

Art and Design

Committee Chair

Argyle Deidre

Abstract

My work uses both painterly and sculptural elements to convey my personal transgender experience. My work is for the little girl who I was, who was incapable of speaking out or expressing themselves. I create work for others that face similar situations, as well as for those who face feelings of gender dysphoria, as I did and still do by not conforming to the gender I was assigned. Working the way that I do is a way for me to rediscover myself after years of shoving my identity to the side for the sake of others. Growing up in rural Missouri, I never had the language to express my trans identity. Most things deemed queer were rejected or persecuted. I was unaccepting of myself and built walls around myself for protection. Now I am finally chipping away at that hardened exterior and letting myself out. I’m finally allowing myself to actualize my feelings and rediscover who I am. Texture and imperfection are important to my work; nicks, scratches, and bumps are a physical representation of trauma and history. I am inspired by the rocky cliff faces of my home state, by the shattered hills on the roadside as the rain pulls out sediments and oxides creating marks down the surface. By using materials that have a history—paint chips, sawdust, jute, wire, and much more—I create my pieces from imperfection. Crafting my work is not unlike how I have changed my own body, something I used to look upon with disdain. I have now taken matters into my own hands to change myself in the way I deem appropriate and what I feel is right. I am constantly in tune with and in opposition to my work. Each new piece requires a new method of evaluation. With this work, I am honoring my moments in transition rather than pushing them away.

Keywords

transgender, non-binary, queer, lgbt, sculpture, installation, collage, mixed-media, contemporary art

Subject Categories

Sculpture

Copyright

© Haley R. Biere

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