Current Project
“Stuck in the Mine” serves as a representation of my identity through the projection of self upon environment. I use the canary as a mascot of sorts to confront the urgent nature to take back the power of queer voices in our modern climate, with queer and trans people being constantly used as scapegoats by the right wing to divert attention from the atrocities that many of the world’s leaders are committing. The canary is a universal symbol of the spread of joy in face of adversity, singing their song and reminding us that as a collective our voices are powerful and that we must use them to spread messages of joy, especially to those who find themselves unable to in our hostile political climate.
The canary plays on their historic use detecting carbon monoxide within coal mines. The idea being that by taking this bird with them in a small box, if the gas was present then the bird would be killed before the miners, allowing them to escape before they too succumbed to the same fate. In many cases the birds would be kept in tanks fitted with a supply of breathable oxygen, in a way resurrecting them only to subject them to a repeating cycle of suffocation again and again. They have since become a symbol of early warning and sacrifice which I find relevant to the fear mongering we see towards transgender individuals currently happen across the western world.
It is clear that this manufactured hatred can and will transfer to all corners of all sorts of communities, spreading and destroying all in its path if not opposed now. Transphobia affects the whole of our society, pushing gender divides further and promoting sexist ideals. We see now more than ever the need to stand in solidarity against any and all injustices, because collectivity is a means of survival.
While perhaps a giant task to tackle, I hope that conversation is sparked through mine and other queer artist’s work, facilitating conversation and raising consciousness towards systematic oppression, emphasising the need for action now.
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