Steward I (2023)

Projection on chiffon

“The ecological frame of queerness is more in line with openness to rethinking our relationship to nature.” – Cox, Steward of Respite in the Round

Equal parts experiment and meditation, Steward explores the relationship between queer identity and rural livelihood. An exercise in ideation for an upcoming film project and inspired by the work of Shirin Neshat and Bill Viola, this installation plays with the idea of multiplicity—a concept important to understanding both queer folk and wild spaces. Through documentary fieldwork, I was immersed in North Carolinian queer networks, exploring how LGBTQ+ identities shape interactions with land. It is a radical relationship; one that calls for “rewilding,” or letting nature grow and expand with minimal human impact. By juxtaposing imagery of queer stewardship and conventional rural spaces, I wish to call into question traditional notions of rurality, agriculture, and queer livelihoods. As we (hopefully) move toward sustainability in agriculture, I ask to what extent is queer stewardship the future?

Installation at Duke University Rubenstein Arts Center, December 2023