The Promise
of Things

The Promise of Things is a mixed media series examining Queer use of flags and "flagging," and how these symbols fail to provide a true sense of belonging.

​

The Rainbow Pride Flag, created by Gilbert Baker in 1976, was intended to unify the Queer community. However, its many permutations reveal the inadequacy of a single flag to represent a diverse Queer diaspora. While some see the pride flag as complementary to the American flag, conservatives often frame them as oppositional. Attempt One: They Will Always Be In Distress displays my attempt to intertwine the pride and American flags without using external support, such as a loom.

​

The work Folding Ceremony addresses the absence of universal mourning rituals for Queer individuals because the pride flag lacks a ritualistic importance, limiting its unifying potential. Through folding the Progressive Pride Flag we can begin to the create universal mourning rituals for Queer individuals lost to violence or suicide. This folded flag features the colors red and orange which symbolize life and healing and which abut the black, brown, pink, white, and blue stripes honoring People of Color and Trans individuals, those in our community most susceptible to violence. 

​

Wild Oats commemorates the ingenuity of gay men and butch lesbians who pioneered flagging, a system using color-coded handkerchiefs draped from back pockets to covertly cruise for sex in public spaces. Initially, only a red handkerchief was used, but other colors were added, each assigned a different meaning. Capitalist forces bloated the handkerchief code from one color to over 65, each color representing a different sexual practice or fetish. Queer folks engaged in the furtive practice of flagging occupied a kind of public closeted-ness, being simultaneously “out” and concealed. Wild Oats asks viewers to contort themselves through a narrow passage before entering the installation, simulating the effort required to be Queer in heteronormative spaces.