by Rowan Rosado Fuentes
I created Adonis: Transsexual Beauty and Desirability as a commentary on transgender bodies and how outside factors and individuals in society dictate how we change ourselves to conform to gender expectations. While there are transgender individuals, including myself, who don’t conform to traditional gender roles, we are still expected to undergo medical and social transitions to be recognized as our true selves. This sentiment is reflected by Stryker’s words, “The transsexual body is an unnatural body. It is the product of medical science. It is a technological construction. It is flesh torn apart and sewn together again in a shape other than that in which it was born” (Stryker, 245). In addition to physically changing our bodies, transgender individuals are expected to “perform gender” in ways that society has dictated. Butler states that, “gender is instituted through the stylization of the body and hence, must be understood as the mundane way in which bodily gestures, movements, and enactments of various kinds constitute the illusion of an abiding gendered self” (Butler, 519). When one does not correctly perform gender, they are subjected to harassment, ridicule, and invalidation from strangers since we are viewed as an anomaly in the presence of others. In Adonis: Transsexual Beauty and Desirability, the focal point of the collage, lighting, and placement of the hands illustrate the unnatural trans body in relation to gender performativity and social constructions.
The focal point of my collage represents the physical trans body. Because this piece is personal, I chose to include a masculine body to center the commentary around my experience as a transgender man. In the center of the collage a statue of Adonis, the Greek god of beauty and desire, was chosen as my muse to represent the otherworldly allure of the trans body. This attraction can be seen as positive and uplifting to the transgender person, but it can also be dangerous. When you are visibly different to the outside world, people often feel inclined to comment on your body without your consent, and more often than not, in ways that are threatening to your safety. Despite this, trans people still find ways to uplift themselves and find comfort in their own bodies and perform gender in ways that stand true to their identity.
The lighting further exemplifies the divineness of the trans figure. When looking at the lighting, the canvas itself is very bright with clouds framing the edges. This sets the mood of the piece as heavenly due to this imagery being largely associated with the Christian ideas of heaven and God. In addition, there is a halo of light that illuminates the statue of Adonis that contrasts with the black wings spread out behind him. The trans body is supernatural and transcends societal and cultural expectations of what it means to be a man or woman. The light is blinding to others, yet it is essentially the awakened and transparent soul of the trans person as they begin to realize that gender is constructed by their own actions and thoughts rather than the perception of outsiders.
Finally, the placement of the hands surrounding the trans body is a metaphor of the outside factors that attempt to control them. The hands are poking, prodding, and reaching out to touch and change the figure. The rightmost hands hold a testosterone bottle and syringe, tools used by both outsiders and the trans person to change their appearance. In the center, two hands rest upon the chest of Adonis mimicking the famous piece The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo. The hands across Adonis’ chest represent two things: one, the top surgery scars of a transmasculine person who underwent top surgery and two, the ability of the trans person to play God in deciding what changes they will make to their flesh. Societal expectations influence the ways in which trans people transform themselves to fit various gender performances. The beauty of it is that it can be freeing to play God and defy these gender norms by subverting these expectations through our own unique transitions. Adonis: Transsexual Beauty and Desirability serves to facilitate dialogue on the uniqueness of transitioning, whether it be to conform to traditional norms or defy them. In this essay, I discussed the meaning behind each element in relation to the performance of gender and the social constructions that surround this act. Each trans body is divine and ascends traditional views of gender and should be celebrated as such.
Bio and pic
