Preview
Artist's Statement
I am trans, and I am alive.
My artistic process is meditative in the sense I use it to ground myself back in reality. I draw whatever I feel like I need to work out mentally- good or bad. On a broader scale, my work addresses the long-term effects of abuse, neglect, chronic illness, vulnerability, intimacy, and my frustration with the world around me and myself. I use a variety of mediums to convey feelings I don’t have the words to explain. When creating, I find myself reliving and reigniting the emotions I shut out for so long, and it often feels like I am going back in time, so I tend to gravitate toward mediums that evoke a sense of nostalgia. I like to use oil pastel, pan pastel, ink, acrylic, various printmaking methods, and collage to transfuse the layers of the human experience and my experience growing up as a transgender person in rural Kansas.
I believe my art is simply a documentation of my life- I hope no one relates to it, but at the same time, if you feel seen by it, know you aren't alone. I convey some deeply personal and uncomfortable feelings- mostly through self-portraits or ripped, disfigured, mannequin-esque limbs to symbolize the effort it takes to put oneself back together after being ripped apart. I have been told my art evokes discomfort. Good. Nothing about my life has been earned comfortably.
My art is evidence of the effort it took to survive.
Dimensions
39 x 41
Year created
2024
Rights
© The Author(s)
Recommended Citation
Stauffer, Percival J., "loss." (2024). SACAD: Creative Activities. 51.
https://scholars.fhsu.edu/sacad_art/51
