Writing

Case Studies From The Damage 2023-2026 (2026) is an epistolary autofiction written as part of Caine's degree show at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design (DJCAD) entitled 'GRIEF MILK: an exploration of the damage'. This novella is a series of letters written in response to Chris Kraus' landmark 1997 book 'I Love Dick' and chronicles Caine's attempts to make peace with a past relationship. A self confessed "recovering undersharer", Caine forces herself into exposure therapy for vulnerability through an organic "stream-of-consciousness" style of writing and imposes limits on how she edits herself-- endeavouring to heave her heart into her mouth without agency or interruption. Addressed to Dearest, in literary allusion to Patricia Highsmiths' 'The Price of Salt', the letters create a place separate to the artist's mind in which the distress, grief, guilt, and uncertainty can be safely trepanned out of sight and mind. The work is highly referential, drawing on musical, cinematic, and literary influences from Shakespeare's King Lear to RuPaul's Drag Race: a collage of the artist is formed.

"I'm writing for the peace you wouldn't leave" (CMAT, California). 

Introduction

This dissertation explores the gender politics of RuPaul’s Drag Race [RPDR] through geographically specified analysis, focusing on the USA, the UK, and international seasons, with a chapter on each. Misogyny is defined as ‘dislike of, contempt, or ingrained prejudice against women.’ (Oxford University Press, 2025). Under patriarchy this ‘ingrained prejudice’ and male gaze (Mulvey, 1975) are inherent to media. With an almost entirely male cast, viewing femininity through a gay perspective, the female experience is exaggerated without female input. Hatred of women breeds hatred of femininity itself, experienced particularly by drag queens. Though drag queens face misogynistic oppression they can perpetuate patriarchal beliefs as discussed in this dissertation. Defined by Bishop, et al (2014), ‘femi-negativity’ is used to analyse vilification of femininity across the gender spectrum (Bishop et al, 2014). This is overwhelmingly under researched with sources limited to gay, cisgender male perspectives and those who oppose the artform entirely. RPDR has a monopoly over drag media and perpetuates the belief that women cannot be drag queens, creating boundaries to the reception of my own artistic practice, which centres the female body in drag. This dissertation is an original contribution from a lesbian perspective with personal drag experience. The paper’s methodology employs mixed methods comprised of quantitative analysis of gender diversity and qualitative research. While I have aimed to remain objective my personal biases may affect the conclusion reached. Based on guidance from Qualitative Research: The Essential Guide to Theory and Practice (Savin-Baden and Howell Major, 2013, p. 51-68) I have included a positionality statement[1]. Chapters 1, 2, and 3 discuss USA, UK, and international franchises respectively focusing on female contestants, gendered aesthetics, and judging panel.