"bitter-sweet"

A Thesis
Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University
and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of Master of Fine Arts in The School of Art

by Benjamin D. Rinehart
B.F.A., Herron School of Art, Indiana University, 1994
May 1998

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS (top)

     The people of both the gay and straight community have strongly influenced and served as an inspiration for this work.  I could not have been able to fulfill my dreams if it were not for my parents, James and Patricia Rinehart, my sisters Aimee and Melissa, and my friends Michael Pullen and Donya Allison.  They have all expressed their unconditional support toward myself and my work throughout the years.  My work is dedicated to all who have had to suffer or struggle with discrimination.

LIST OF SLIDES (top)

ABSTRACT (top)

         The work represented has been derived from my experiences with family, friends, and lovers as a gay male.  The primary focus of this six part installation is to encourage interaction between the viewer and the images.

BITTER-SWEET (top)

     There is no confection here.  My work addresses homosexuality straight-forward, but not without overwhelming sarcasm and biting sense of humor.  My work became more direct in response to the questions of others, gay and straight, addressing misconceptions about queer culture.  The work is entirely autobiographical and includes identifiable images of friends, family, and self, and draws upon personal letters and memorabilia.  Discrimination and alienation of homosexuals by mainstream society are issues that I use as springboards for image development.  My work, be it installation or individual pieces, is intended to incite dialogue and evoke psychological responses from the viewer.   As a queer male, my relationships and my interest in the sense of touch are catalysts for my art.  The focus of relationships, touch, and discrimination have continued to influence both my personal and artistic development.

     Some of my work manipulates the stereotypes of the sissy in order to mock the ridiculous nature of mainstream myths about homosexuality.  For instance, I use bad “fag” jokes in my work to draw attention to society’s ignorance of gay culture.  I use stereotypes, labels, and misconceptions that are commonly addressed toward homosexuals.  The unenlightened viewer is then able to relate to the work through the familiarity of these words and phrases,  thus eliminating any confusion.  I see myself first as a human being without any labels, however, labels serve as a means of identification and association.  I am working from the idea that when people are  confronted with stereotypes or labels it may urge them to question their own morals.  I appreciate differences in people, and try through my work to stress individuality.  In this way, I intend to bridge the gap between people of all cultures, stressing their unique visual and human qualities.

     All of the objects are part of a larger installation idea.  I chose to display my work in segments of familiar home environments in order to stimulate visual, intellectual, and emotional dialogue.  Each grouping of images exists in a room which directly relates to its function and meaning (pillows to bed, cards to table).  They all work collectively, however, each object requires individual attention.  There are aesthetic differences and references to gay life in each image, which work together to form the contextual environment of each room.  Each grouping exists in a simplified monochromatic or dichromatic living area which unifies and exemplifies the groupings of images. 

     Rather than making and focusing on two-dimensional images, I have created objects to be held and environments to be explored.  I intentionally avoided a traditional framed presentation in favor of an installation format in order to encourage viewer participation.  Touch and investigation are an essential part of this interactive environment.  My pieces are presented in familiar contexts which invite visual intimacy and interaction.  Unfortunately we are raised in a society where touching is not always considered appropriate, especially not in a museum or gallery setting.  Some people, like myself, are left with the insatiable urge to touch or be touched.  “All animals respond to being touched, stroked, poked in some way, and, in any case, life itself could not have evolved at all without touch. . . In the absence of touching and being touched, people of all ages can sicken and grow touch-starved” (Ackerman 78-79).  The sense of touch permeates the overall image/installation and by removing work from the wall I am forcing a temporary relationship between the viewer and the art.

     The tactile nature of my work reflects my belief in the importance of touch as a basic human need.  I have addressed this importance by creating objects that the viewer is physically able to access.  When the viewer touches my work, they in turn share my experiences.  Therefore, touchable forms such as pillows are used throughout the installation.  The pillows are soft and seductive so that the participant is drawn to hold them close.  As an example, some of the pockets in the pillows are illusive so that one must penetrate deeply in order to find their contents.  The excitement is in the discovery and exploration of each image/object.

     All of the images in the show are two-sided and meant to be handled in some way.  The objects (cards, key chains, and magnets) are oversized to stress the satire of each image and their tactile surfaces.

     In the dining area there are cards displayed on a kitchen table.  The cards, which are titled Tricks Are For Trolls, are symbols of game playing and socialization.   The title comes from a standard that is understood within gay society.  When a queer male gets older he may be deemed a “Troll”.  Trolls are seen as vultures who seek out young men for sex.  A troll usually expresses his affection in a very direct way, staring at his object of desire as if he has been stripped of his clothing.  You just hope that you’re not the person he envisions while masturbating.

     The oversized cards I have created for this piece relay a self-deprecating sense of humor and also express ambivalence that often accompanies seeking a mate in the gay world.  They depict a significant duality in that they express emotional aspects of desperate men while at the same time representing theatrical personas (drag queens). The images of sex toys and phallic shapes on the cards refer to promiscuity, which most straight people associate with fags.  This notion of promiscuity is fostered by the fact that there are still very few viable outlets for meeting people other than bars, bath houses, and bathroom stalls.  The backs of the cards carry personal advertisements in conjunction with comical icons (wedding ring, sucker, butt plug).   While personal ads can be outlets for meeting like-minded individuals, they have gained a reputation as representing sex starved people seeking available partners.   Although the cards can be seen as Tarot or playing cards, they are actually more akin to the underground trading cards of social miscasts such as the Garbage Pail Kids.   These cards are also intended to be icons, symbolic of loneliness and personal isolation.

     The bedroom piece titled Gay-Dar is the focal point of the exhibition.  It epitomizes human sexuality, and more directly references the sexual nature of queers.   I am challenging the viewer’s sense of tolerance by forcing him or her to see a double bed and to envision two people of the same gender engaging in sexual intercourse.  The pillows embody the ideas of pornography and promiscuity. The fronts of the pillows display images of myself either in costume or drag.  The backs of the pillows have pornographic images of men ready to engage in some sort of sexual activity.  The duality of the pillows is explored by their contents.  Zippered pockets on the backs of the pillows contain paraphernalia (sex toys, drugs, and gay porn) which serve as tools which may aid sexual and personal satisfaction (masturbating).  The focus of the pillows is about the thrill of sex and not about making love.  The idea of commitment and monogamy are not always factors in homosexual society.  Monogamy is a rarity more than a rule, so it is not the issue of the bedroom scenario.  The lack of clear detail in the pornographic images suggests the anonymity shared by people that engage in promiscuous sexual activity.  Drugs and alcohol seem to serve as anesthetics used in dealing with the pressures of being queer.  These substances numb the guilt of promiscuous behavior and game playing.

     With the use of the bed, I encourage the viewer to think about sexuality, diseases, and sexual roles which are important aspects of gay society.  Sexually transmitted diseases have affected most communities, and this is why I have chosen to use condoms (actual & drawn) in many of the scenes.  Living in a community where HIV is more evident, the game of Russian Roulette frequently comes to my mind.  Emotional game playing is an underlying theme in the bedroom scene, and is a common among many fags.  The game board on the table and carpeting intensifies the playful and dangerous nature of being promiscuous.  In my experience, being in a committed relationship does not always ensure that each partner is monogamous.  Instead, issues of trust consume any sense of security.  This reinforces the sense of isolation or inadequacy towards forming any sort of long lasting monogamous relationship.

     My work encourages people to raise questions about their own securities and insecurities within society.  Associated with sex is vanity.  It plays a very important role in the gay community and, hence, it is a very strong theme in my work.  I have used hand mirrors as the most direct symbol of vain self-identity.  Images of myself and my family have been overlaid on the reflective mirrored surfaces so as to impede the viewers’ images of themselves.  The viewer is also faced with words and bitchy comments from gay men.  Moreover, the mirrors reflect the amount of preparation that some people go through before going out on the town.  In queer culture, mirrors also serve as a way of indirect communication in public settings.  A reflective surface provides the perfect opportunity to assess someone’s physical traits without their knowledge.  This is a favorite cat and mouse game played by many fags.

      Light in the Loafers is the title of the kitchen scene.  This demeaning phrase is something that I heard as a child from my family.  In this scenario, I have used familiar icons of magnets attached to a refrigerator and oven door.  The magnets’ imagery comments on social and political agendas regarding acceptable behavior in mainstream society.  My resource and inspiration for the magnets comes from statements made by the Christian Coalition and what a tabloid magazine had written: “Homosexual Cats Can Be Cured!”   My agenda here is to unmask the lunacies that are published in the media in order to provoke questioning and reflection on the part of the viewer.   One of the myths is that a gay male might ingest two tons of fecal matter in his lifetime (heard from a right wing religious group).  Although common sense dictates that this would be nearly impossible, people continue to believe ridiculous untruths about cultures they are not familiar with because these statements are published as facts.

     All of the images that exist in each environment are two-sided.  I have always tried to see both sides of the coin when I formulate ideas for an image.  A duality exists in utilizing a sense of sarcasm while trying not to preach.  Instead of telling the viewer what to believe, I propose questions for each individual to consider.  The two-sided nature of all the images is in direct relation to the title of the show, bitter-sweet.   The  title is also reiterated by the beauty of each image juxtaposed with a seedy aspect of queer culture.  I also use color in the scenes to seduce the viewer into eerie yet playful surroundings.  Color intensifies the attractive and pungent quality of each image, and sets the emotional tone.  I also see bright, opaque color as the “thick skin” that people get from being persecuted.  This “thick skin” is a bitter-sweet quality that suggests strength while also conveying a sense of freedom.

     My intention is not to stand on a bully-pulpit and preach about the downfalls of being a sissy, but rather to encourage people to reflect on our differences and to raise questions about our own misgivings and insecurities both inside and outside of mainstream society. I am interested in the sense of alienation and inversely in the strength it has given homosexuals.  It empowers not only individuals, but the entire gay culture.  The images that exist within each environment parallel individuals standing together to form a collective voice.  These areas foster a nurturing haven for personal expression without prejudice, in which individuality can become an asset and not a liability. 

     Whether I am dealing with the idea of relationships, discrimination, or the sense of touch, my work strives for an environment of understanding that both affirms and challenges our own moral and ethical values.  Being a sissy has proven to be a very positive aspect in my life.  And in doing my work, I am now able to clearly convey my sexual identity.  It has taken me many years to reach a level of comfort in expressing myself as an artist, a human being, and a queer male.  However, it has given me a courageous sense of pride which will continue to be a central theme in my art.

- Benjamin D. Rinehart
Copyright©1998

WORKS CITED (top)