Lunch Time Artist Talks: Eli Isenhour

My work deals with themes of queer sociality, community, and the social reproduction of trans identities. Trans people historically have little support outside of our own networks of care; while some of us, myself included, are lucky enough to have an accepting biological family, the found family and community of people of similar experience is still necessary and foundational in understanding our lives. In other words, trans people teach each other how to “be trans,” not in a prescriptive sense, but in the sense of how we interact with and are positioned within the world. As antitransgender legislation and general sentiment

has increased alongside the growing visibility of trans populations, I seek to create work that recenters community and solidarity in the broader LGBT consciousness, rather than individualized understandings of a quietly queer interiority which can be successfully assimilated into a overwhelmingly white, western, cisgender, and heterosexual society.

Working in mixed media has always been an important aspect of my practice, but even more so within the context of my thematic choices. Clay is a pliable medium that undergoes a metamorphic change, and whose body is capable of holding “memory” of how it was manipulated. These qualities are what draws me particularly to ceramics in relation to transness. Additionally, illustration, collage, screenprint, fibers, and of course ceramic mediums are blended within my installation to create a sense of eclecticism and an environment that has been lived in by many people. My creation of functional pottery serves a similar purpose, as reference to the comfort and care of a community, as well as maintaining a dialogue with the field of craft’s association with past and ongoing queer political movements.

There are a number of symbols that reoccur in my work that hold particular significance. The blending of mechanical and naturalistic imagery questions the innateness of “biological sex” and if there is really such a distinction between what we consider “real” or natural, versus what we consider artificial, fake, or manufactured. Moths, butterflies, and other insects that undergo a metamorphosis represent transition in a very literal sense. Similarly, imagery of syringes represent inhabiting a highly medicalized body, and demands solidarity with queer people who have the least access to acceptability. Finally, thorns represent toughness and self-preservation in a world that wants to see us disappear. Juxtaposing the heavy themes that making art about transness entails, bright colors, patterns, and a sense of playfulness are equally, if not more present in my work. Knowing other trans people, and in turn knowing myself more has been literally life saving, and there is incredible joy in that. While the conditions that require us to rely on each other are not ideal, ultimately I want my work to convey that being trans is a gift and no matter what obstacles exist, we can, have, and will continue to overcome them.