The Heteronormative State

Grayson Perry - BIRTH MOTHER © Richard Ansett 2018

It might feel comfortable and safe to sit within the confines of a clearly defined existence and judge others but it is not secure ground. Certainly the previously dominant structures that set out our world are now seen increasingly as merely other ways of living and in a free society even bigots are welcome as we recognise the pathetic hubris of their superiority.

The complications of accepting personal responsibility for our lives and the accompanying existential loneliness are prices we pay to break free of oppressive forms of traditional identity. We increasingly exist in parallel to the passive aggressive bully that is the stereotype and 'minority' is an increasingly archaic term.

'Queer' has evolved from the reclamation of an abuse to become an inclusive definition that allows us all to share in the complex relationship to what has been identified as the 'heteronormative state.'

The heteronormative state should be defined as the oppressor not just of those broadly defined by sexuality. It is the fabric within which we all function evolved over centuries, the historic legacy is stitched into the foundations and structures that frame our lives. It cannot be torn down so easily like a statue but we can scratch and nudge at it with tools like the zeitgeist.

In my latest collaboration with Grayson Perry the focus is on the tireless motif of mother and child for the 21st century. Claire is not a natural mother, it is a trans- immaculate conception.

A very limited edition giclée available through SINGULART

Instinct

Def: 1. An inborn pattern of behavior that is characteristic of a species and is often a response to specific environmental stimuli:

Def: 2. A misappropriated word that excuses an inability to understand or explain the motivations behind decision-making.

There is an immediate emotional reaction to events that can only be evaluated in hindsight. Photography, especially that which explores reality, is a record of that unique but universal response to the moment, it is la petite mort. That which is selected to be shown, is an insight into the personality of the observer and has always been my primary interest. To unravel the forces that motivate instinct is key to progress; these elements are the undercurrent, the third dimension that exists beyond the conventional narratives and aesthetics.

Photography exposes the level of personal progress of both the protagonist and the critic, this is possible to read but is limited to our own unique understanding. Grayson Perry recently mused at the Reith Lectures, (I’m paraphrasing) “I don’t get certain great artists now but I know I will one day, but I am not there yet.” This is an acknowledgement that any understanding of the world is imbued with the experience of the observer.

The only real barrier to progress is cynicism. The element of doubt over the authentic motives behind art is inevitable in such a broad church. Genuineness however is the antidote; no matter how insane it cannot be faked and for me is the arbiter for identifying work of value. It is defined by a relentless passion and belief for a concept so immersing that it defeats the conventional ambition to succeed; it doesn’t even have to be ‘good’. In fact, it’s quite important (relative to the established rules of aesthetics), that it isn’t.

"There's nothing so absurd that if you repeat it often enough, people will believe it." - William James (1842-1910)

To make progress, one must actually ‘become’ more; progress must be made on a fundamental level. As experience and knowledge expand, the perspective on the shared universal space alters and there is a greater chance of developing a unique signature in responding to the moment. It is inevitable and hugely rewarding, but it is a ‘Pandora’s Box’. The alternative though is to be exposed to the lowest possible common denominators that define society.

Image_3599, Woman with Grandmother's Curtains @ Richard Ansett 2014