Beyond the self : a study on postmodern subjectivities in the Tranimal movement

티아고 Tiago
영상문화학협동과정 전공

 

1. 논문 소개 

 

The interest of this study lies in the aesthetic and political reactions to the contemporary codification and normalization of drag art. As drag queens and kings broke through the boundaries of the underground  queer scene and found their space as active agents in mainstream cultural industries, their art became inevitably subjected to hegemonic forces. To create an image that could be commercially viable and easily palatable to heterosexual audiences, artists were expected to conform to the binary gender spectrum and the heteronormative schema, which affected their representations of gender, sexuality, and body. In this context, this work proposes focusing on the Tranimal drag movement, an aesthetic counteraction to this mainstream turn in drag art.

 

This movement is assumed here as a deconstructive reading of commercial drag culture, showing its incongruences and re-signifying it. To do so, this dissertation develops a discussion that covers the politics of queer bodies, the implications of rupturing gender expectations, and the fragmentation of the self through abject performances. Through distortions, chaos, and an aesthetic as polluted as unpredictable, the Tranimal politics marks a struggle for language, opposing to the controlled narratives produced by the hegemonic codes. Therefore, this dissertation asks: in a Tranimal fragmented body with no limits, if the subject is turned into nothing but noise, what is left of drag?

 

In this way, this work analyzes not only the past transformations of drag art but the possibilities inscribed in its transgressive alternatives. Adopting a multidisciplinary framework that draws on visual culture studies, philosophy, and queer theory, this work discusses how Tranimal artists use the materiality of the body as a place for resistance, challenging hegemonic standards of beauty and attractiveness and producing a deviant discourse that radicalizes the definitions of drag art, particularly the notion of gender representation. In dialogue with the concepts of ‘cyborgs’ and ‘terrorist drag’, this work argues that Traninal performers, in a process of disidentification, produce narratives that can free subjects through the aesthetics of beyond.

 

By erasing clean and clear representations of bodies, Tranimals preclude any possibility of building bodies from a hegemonic understanding of gender. This work, in this way, discusses how non-normative artists can offer a transgressive aesthetic answer to the ethical and political challenges created by the popularization of drag art. As this transgressive movement defied mainstream drag queen/king culture by placing the grotesque of marginal cultures under the spotlight, this study investigates how marginalized bodies can build a narrative of their own while resisting to oppressing and normalizing forces, posting to a future that is both a utopia and a dystopia.

 

▲ Portrait of Squeaky Blonde  by Austin Young

 

 

2. 저자 인터뷰 

 

1. What made you choose this doctoral program?

 

When choosing where to conduct my doctoral studies, I felt very excited about the possibilities offered by Korea University’s Visual Culture Studies Department. This department gave me the chance of studying, at the same time, philosophy, cultural studies, media, and arts, which are all fields I am very interested in. I believe interdisciplinary departments have a very attractive attribute of attracting people who, despite having similar interests, come from different backgrounds and study different topics. That creates a very fruitful and interesting environment, in which each student contributes with new perspectives and insights. Also, as someone who had been studying visual narratives and media for a while, I felt like focusing on Visual Cultures Studies would give me good knowledge and potentialize my academic skills.

 

2. Is there any reason why you decided to write your dissertation on this topic? Also, what were the objectives of your dissertation?

 

I have been attending queer events and following queer discussions for many years. Throughout all these years, I could see many interesting transformations, and those related to drag art were particularly intriguing. Previously seen as an unworthy and shameful activity (even within the queer scene), drag art became a praised, cutting-edge, and cool hobby many young people started engaging with. And as drag art became a cultural phenomenon part of the mainstream, conflicts were equally raising to challenge all the normalizing transformations that were part of the mainstream turn in this art form. Among these reactions, the Tranimal movement appeared as a very radical artistic reaction. They were so radically different from everything I had seen before that I decided to study their relation to the drag canon and their aesthetic choices.

 

3. I am sure there were several obstacles to completing your dissertation. What were they and how did you overcome such difficulties?

 

Obstacles were many. Probably, the biggest ones were related to language, culture, and homesickness. And I believe those are issues many international students can relate to. It is hard to write in a language different from your mother tongue because you are always struggling to explain your ideas in the best way. The academic culture is also very challenging because all activities we are familiar with are done differently when we go abroad, from classes to school rituals and even student interactions. Finally, there is  homesickness. It is hard not having your culture, family, and family backing you up. Everything gets harder when you are constantly feeling like an outsider. To go through all of that, I was just literally living day by day. I was walking little steps every day, going through one small challenge at a time. That was the best for me.

 

4. There are many juniors who are currently working on their theses and dissertations. Do you have any advice for them?

 

I think the best advice I could give is: try to make some extra time to relax. Writing a thesis or dissertation is a long, hard, and stressful activity. Students take months or years dedicating their time to it. They all have tons of readings, analyses, and discussions to do, often writing the same passage over and over until finally achieving versions of their manuscripts they are satisfied with. And this process can be tiring and overwhelming. Because of that, I think having some healing time is fundamental. Take some time for yourself, with no work and no study. Go to your favorite place, meet your favorite people. If that is not possible, just take a break and go out for a walk. Try to breathe and recharge your energies. Make sure you have some time not focusing on books or screens.

 

 

 

 

■인터뷰/정리: 황지원 기자 (h950301@naver.com)