This four-week course led by Gaby Sahhar and Lilly Cheetah from Queerdirect offers a chance to explore the spectrum of gender and sexuality by looking at how one can ‘queer’ the viewing experience of art and think about them in relation to a queer subject.
Participants will be able to use life drawing as a participatory performance practice, assisted by clothing and props to challenge various notions around gender and sexuality. This includes explorations of queer intimacy, examining how the queer gaze relates to subjects outside assumed roles of sexuality and re-thinking heteropatriarchal norms.
No prior experience or knowledge of life drawing necessary. Materials provided. Includes visits to All Too Human.
Week 1: Seeing Queerly - Re-framing the Analytical Gaze
Using the works within All Too Human as reference, we will begin by decoding the gestures and postures within the paintings to explore how queerness can be suggested to the viewer through artworks. Experimenting with these postures, along with props and colour, we will extend and inhabit these queer narratives in our life drawing.
Week 2: Structure and Masc and Femme
This session will examine how gender identity isn't determined by assigned gender. Placing our bodies in direct response to sculptures by Henry Moore, we will use movement to create presence and drama that draws out both the ‘masc’ and ‘femme’ traits within the works.
Week 3: The Everyday
Resisting assimilation by subverting reality. We return to All Too Human to explore the struggle between signifying queerness through body language and attempting to fit into mainstream society, work and family life.
Week 4: City Sex and Gender identity
How do people meet? How do LGBTQ+ people actually have sex? In this session we will discuss the history of queer signifiers and spaces and use sex toys and role play as props and poses within our life drawing to breakdown sex-negative ideas and taboos around queer sex lives and relationships.