Gender Epistemology

Ken Waddy

In this project, I have challenged myself to create art that encourages dialogue through education, and collaborate with established cultural repertoires such as card collecting and trading. It is a continuation of my previous works this semester where I discuss sociology, the body, and identity and visibility, specifically in relation to transgenderism. They address my own experiences and knowledge of gender, as well as research related to gender, such as culture wars, social formation, Pre-Colombian gender systems, gender variance, and transgenderism in history. In this case, I am making a body of images that combats an imperial process of erasing and pathologizing identities that don’t align with the system that the people of the conquest desired. In simpler terms, many people believe that transgenderism and gender variance is a recent phenomenon that has rapidly developed in the past ten years. The cards that I designed negate this notion, presenting examples of people and systems of the past that do in fact acknowledge the existence of diverse conventions and constructs of sex and gender roles spanning centuries. Aside from visuals of the figures/concepts/deities/people of interest, they also have this text on the back, which will not just be an educational tool, but allow people who would use the cards and share them (if they were to one day be produced en masse) to relate to the specific stories as well.

This is in reference to the theme of visibility and education, where information such as this is constantly obscured in American pedagogies. Addressing ways of knowing (gender) is the basis of my goals in the series of pieces these cards are in which is encouraging reflection on how one can, could, and should see the world.

About the Artist

My recent work has been an opportunity to represent my social positionality and my perception of the state of the world in relation to it. I am making a body of work about sociopolitical contexts that mold my future and examining related emotions. Because I am moving past my reluctance to explore both the public and the personal in my art, there are/will be abstract and expressionist representations, while also having sociological, political, and historical themes. Most of my work is simply drawing what interests me and is not reflective of reality aside from my identity. My newfound interest in conceptual art that will be represented takes inspiration from activist scholars and expressionist movements. I am inspired by Cherríe Moraga and Gloria Anzaldúa who believe in theory in the flesh, meaning I desire to turn my mental and physical experiences as a marginalized person into a “politic of necessity” that introduces new and old epistemic foundations to viewers and awaken “dormant areas of consciousness.” While doing so, I want to create new visual phenomena and symbols to interpret what I see in the world, specifically depicting violence and emotion in a layered, enigmatic manner. My process is most influenced by what I can do rather than what I want to do. I feel more comfortable addressing things in ways/with material that are accessible to me, both physically and mentally. While I do enjoy being able to create for my own self gratification, when I am confronted with marginalized artists and writers who address urgent issues and emotions, I also feel as though it’s my duty to make something with meaning. Basically, I want to change my relationship with art as an outlet. I feel more accomplished making all kinds of art, including ones that impact people.