Good Luck Jules

My most recent body of work, Good Luck Jules, explores fictionalized narratives of my life as a gay trans man in the foothills of Appalachia.

 

The membrane that exists between myself and others is permeable, as my identity is constantly impacted by those around me, and vice versa. This body of work explores the osmosis between myself and my family, ancestors, romantic partners, friends, and strangers.

While reflecting on how my family lineage has shaped who I am, I became interested in Audre Lorde’s concept of biomythography: a combination of biographical fact with cultural myth to express personal identity. Good Luck Jules combines moments from my life and my parents’ lives with a system of personal and cultural symbols to create my own biomythography. My family descends from a line of people who colonized the Appalachian mountains. In one sense, I was born in this land and it is my home; in another, I am a transplant. How can I weave these two aspects of myself together?