horsegirl

“horsegirl” is an in-progress investigation of many things considering horses, including their history and their place in our Western culture. All things considered, “horsegirl” refers to my family lineage and how I am connected to these animals. Despite the surface sophistication of the context, pockets of humor and fun are meant to be present within this work. The series is a combination of stream-of-consciousness drawings and journaling, paired with soundscape and film photography in an attempt to create physicality out of memory. “horsegirl” asks the viewer to go beyond the surface visual of equine relationships and delve into the underlying realm of dreams and connections. The series contemplates the nature of dreams' profound impact on our waking reality, and the dance between memory and imagination. Central to this exploration is my enduring connection with my grandmother and my stepfather, who visit me in dreams, bridging the divide between the living and the departed. Through the use of post-mortem relationships, "horsegirl" becomes a portal to ancestral wisdom and familial legacies, offering looks into intimate stories and forgotten knowledge of those who have passed on. This intertwining of dreamscapes and ancestral echoes inspires my search of self, weaving a narrative that spans generations and questions mortal boundaries.
Within this body of work, horses emerge as symbols of freedom and connection. As a queer individual, I navigate the intersection of personal identity and societal expectations, using horses as both a metaphorical and literal means of asserting my presence and reclaiming horses, whose visuals are traditionally dismissed for their kitsch. “horsegirl” acts as a reclamation of space, an embodiment of identity, and a mechanism of coping with the long terms effects of grief.