Comorbidity

Abstract

ABSTRACT This thesis document analyses and contextualizes my solo thesis exhibition, Comorbidity, through providing photo documentation of the work, a reflection on personal experiences, social phenomena, contemporary art, and critical theory. Throughout this last year I have developed a body of sculptural, video, and performance work that deals with the psychological and physical implications of sexual and gendered oppression. With an invested interest in the ways that pop culture has shaped conceptions of gender and sexuality in American social dynamics, I look at physical and mental health, the feminization of domestic labor and the “self-care” industry, the relationship between human and non-human animals, and the transformation and reclamation of derogatory language, imagery, and aesthetics. Utilizing concepts from queer and affect theory, I consider the methods and subject matter in my work as well as the works of other queer and feminist artists. By externalizing what is internal (mental and physical illness) and internalizing what is external (systemic oppression predominately based on gender and ability) in my life, work, and writing, I posit that trauma, grief, and illness are inextricably tied to social conditioning and various forms of overlapping oppression.