Gender Juxtapositions

Gender Juxtapositions, Chaz Howkins, 2015, photograph

This image is a recreation of an earlier photograph juxtaposing 'masculine' clothing with 'feminine' hair and makeup.  What really makes an individual appear masculine or feminine?

Is the subject a man, woman or neither?

http://chazhowkins.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/self-portrait.html

Photographic Collages

Charlie Collage, Chaz Howkins, 2015, photographic collage

Charlie Collage 2, Chaz Howkins, 2015, photographic collage

Faces, Chaz Howkins, 2015, photographic collage

Faces 2, Chaz Howkins, 2015, photographic collage

Faces 3, Chaz Howkins, 2015, photographic collage

I realised that in a lot of my work so far, I have accidentally been reinforcing the idea of gender as binary, which I don't agree with - and my initial intention was to explore the idea of gender as a spectrum.  Many of my initial ideas related to the idea of 'Chaz vs Chad' (myself and my male alter ego) however I feel this is far too restrictive and binary so I will now be exploring myself as Charlie as this covers all genders rather than just two.

In the first two collages (Charlie Collage 1 & 2) I used various images of myself as a range genders.  My intention was to create confusing images which make the viewer question the gender of the subject, to which I would respond, does it matter?  I find it fascinating how frustrated people can get when they can't work out someone's gender.

In the next three collages I included images of myself and of other people (males) to make the images even more confusing.  However I prefer the Charlie collages as they involve a level of self exploration making them far more personal than the Faces collages.

Chad Photography

Chad Mugshot, Chaz Howkins, 2015, photograph

Chad Selfie, Chaz Howkins, 2015, photograph

Chad Shadow, Chaz Howkins, 2015, photograph

Chad Neck, Chaz Howkins, 2015, photograph

Long Haired Chad, Chaz Howkins, 2015, photograph

Sleepy Chad, Chaz Howkins, 2015, photograph

These are select images from several photoshoots in which I have dressed up as Chad, my male alter ego.  I enjoy dressing up as Chad as the resulting images are confusing to people who know me as they half recognise the character they are seeing but can't quite place them.  I plan to take this photography further by creating more dramatic/staged images using proper lighting and a clean background.

Double Exposures

Contact sheet of double exposures

I created these double exposures by putting a 35mm film through the camera twice; I marked the film in hopes that they would align but they didn't, which created an interesting effect anyway.  I think these images are interesting and I plan to enlarge several of them, however this was really just an experiment.  I think using film is far too experimental and unreliable so I plan to create a series of double exposures digitally using photoshop.

Photography Workshop

Large Format Chad, Chaz Howkins, 2015, photograph

I created this image using a large format camera, which was very tedious to use as it is such a long and technical process.  Though I enjoyed the photography workshop and found it interesting using various cameras and techniques which were new to me, I was not converted to the world of film cameras as I still believe that anything I could create using film could be created more easily, quickly, cheaply and successfully using digital.

Photography Workshop

Dissected Chad, Chaz Howkins, 2015, photo collage

For this image I cut up my photographic paper before exposing onto it at fragmented, overlapping angles.  I then collaged it back together to make a confusing, disjointed image of an unidentifiable character. 

Photography Workshop

Chad³, Chaz Howkins, 2015, photograph

I created this image by moving the paper twice while exposing from my large format film.  I wanted this image to be confusing and the gender of the subject to be unidentifiable, which I feel I have done rather successfully.

Photography Workshop

Loughborough Fair, Chaz Howkins, 2015, photograph

Loughborough Fair Horse, Chaz Howkins, 2015, photograph

Shattered Mirror, Chaz Howkins, 2015, photograph

These were my most successful images from the first two weeks of the photography workshop in which we exposed, developed and enlarged images from 35mm film.

Nine Frames Project (Loughborough Whispers Performance)

Aftermath of performance

I took part in an interactive performance called Loughborough Whispers, a take on Chinese Whispers, during which several artists were supplied with a range of materials and took it in turns to create something, picking up where the last left off.

Nine Frames Project (stage five)

At this stage the piece is being cleared up and all the drawings very amalgamated into a pile, which I then took home and sorted through to see if any were salvageable.

Nine Frames Project (stage four)

Stage four exhibits the aftermath of my performances.  The room is now covered in blood (paint) to portray the death of my creativity in a very literal sense.  Everything has been torn off the walls and now lays on the floor in heaps, showcasing my hatred for my work and how I don't care what happens to it.  The plastic sheeting became very effective at this stage as the space was now less accessible due to the paint covering the floor but viewers could still see inside through the 'walls' and their view is now distorted by the paint splatters.

Nine Frames Project (Performances)

Nine Frames Project (performances)

Videos still to be edited and uploaded

Nine Frames Project (Performance)

The Death Of Creativity, Chaz Howkins, 2015, performance

In this performance I occupied my space by laying down in it and sleeping to express a sense of having given up.

Nine Frames Project (close ups of installation)

I feel that I used to be more creative.  I used to draw for fun far more often.  Now, the only time I draw for fun is while drunk or high.  I find this very sad as it shows I feel the need to alter my state of mind in order to be creative.  I decided to incorporate this into the installation by covering the walls in my intoxicated drawings.  Some of the drawings are fairly humorous as they are incredibly narcissistic self portraits or jokes I've made to myself, whereas some are just scribbles which I thought looked amazing at the time of creation.

To express a sense of creative frustration, I also covered the walls with blank 'ideas' lists, endless to-do lists, self-deprecating notes to myself and print outs of tips on how to be more productive.

Nine Frames Project (stage three)

The Death Of Creativity (stage three), Chaz Howkins, 2015, installation

The Death Of Creativity (stage three), Chaz Howkins, 2015, installation

The Death Of Creativity (stage three), Chaz Howkins, 2015, installation

The Death Of Creativity (stage three), Chaz Howkins, 2015, installation

At stage three the piece begins to come together and my intentions are starting to be realised.  I was given this space to use with no limits as to what I could use it for.  I felt the potential of this opportunity should have filled me with ideas and excitement, yet nothing came to mind.  As I tried and failed to think of something to do with the space, I decided instead to create a piece which responds to this sense of creative frustration.

Nine Frames Project (stage two)

The Death Of Creativity (stage two), Chaz Howkins, 2015, installation

At stage two, the piece now features a table and chair which sit rather solemnly in the empty room.  The plastic sheeting begins to give a crime scene feel to the situation.