this week i shot a lot of different stop motion photosets in high contrast lighting to see what came out. i tried to let the materials move without too much control and in some moments imagery appeared that i hadn't consciously thought about but which fit well with my current project, such as the moon and breast shapes pictured below. most of the image sets will not be made into anything but a few turned out really well and i will use them for my evaluative critique. imagery of nature (the moon, mushrooms, organismic forms) surprised me and when i put it with my other material for my project it fit well with the concept. i'm thinking about the parts of humankind which suffer under socialization in this project and the false dichotomy of mind and body, and nature represents wholeness and chaos in a way that i find strengthens my overall communication of these ideas. thinking about nature also brought me to make a connection within my piece. while the various animations are layed out in a black abyss, referencing the intangible inner world and movement of thoughts, it also references the constellations and universe. this is important because the term constellation is also often used to refer to facets or fragments of the self which surface interchangeably but do not generally interact, such as the ugly parts of us i am most
interested in right now

this week i have started reading anne fausto-sterling's book Sexing the Body. the chapters i have been reading discuss historical treatment of intersex bodies in europe and sheds light on the falsehood of the gender binary and the idea that intersexuality is pathological. fausto-sterling explains that scientists didnt, for a long time, think of sex as binary and understood sex and gender as two different things. this information is really useful to me as a non-binary person making art about the mind/body's struggle to conform to social parameters. this piece isn't specifically about gender because it takes a broader stance and looks at the overall chaotic and grotesque but nonetheless endearing nature of human beings. this book is really useful while i am thinking through these things as it sheds light on a specific social issue related to how politics were assigned to the body, and natures inherent disregard for the rules humans try to impose.