Introduction
These are a series of images that I produced at the beginning of my artistic research. This period was marked by extensive exploration and discovery. I came across numerous images online that, due to their strong aesthetic qualities, could be interpreted as belonging to a queer or gay discourse.
Context
I was particularly interested in the role of linguistics and how the creation of new terminology has shaped and transformed society. For example, in the 19th century, scientists coined terms to describe emerging concepts and phenomena, such as homosexuality, lesbianism, extinction, lightning, batteries, and anaesthesia. Modernity is often associated with an explicit, systematic language rooted in the positivist legacy of the Enlightenment. Indeed, modernists derived knowledge through scientific observation and verifiable evidence—an approach frequently linked to Plato and the rational mind.
Approach
To illustrate my discovery of a queer historical narrative, I decided to present artefacts in a way reminiscent of 19th-century lithographs found in The Description of Egypt. Concepts such as natural history and description are closely aligned with Enlightenment paradigms—especially the notion of the “clear light of reason.” I found it compelling to perceive these real artefacts through an 18th-century lens: as perfect, descriptive, and transparent representations of the natural world. At the same time, I aimed to reinterpret them through a contemporary lens—using imagery as a vehicle for layered and constructed meanings.
An artwork can be described either factually or interpretively—two approaches that, rather than opposing each other, can work in tandem to deepen our understanding of the object. I wanted to emphasise the complexity of analysing an artefact and the coexistence of historical and contemporary frameworks in such interpretations.
Process
At this early stage of the research, I examined existing artefacts that possessed a strong aesthetic character and evoked themes related to gender, sexuality, masculinity/femininity, or gay identity. The next phase of the experiment involved reproducing these artefacts digitally. I began by tracing the outline of each image in Photoshop, then transferring the cleaned-up image into Maya, where I could digitally vectorise it. Finally, I added textures to complete the transformation into a digital artefact.
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