Course description

This seminar will surface the ways in which LGBTQ+ people and communities have impacted the ways in which mainstream American culture has been shaped by cultural production derived from thinking that challenges heteronormativity in post-World War II America until the validation of same sex marriage in 2014 Through the lenses of queer theory, evolving queer history, Since the emergence of “homosexuality” and “transsexuality” as identities in the late 19th century, queer culture has been presumed to develop in the margins of American life, ancillary to and shaped by heterosexual norms. Yet, the vast majority of queer people in the last hundred years have lived (to at least some degree) in the closet, allowing them to exist in the mainstream while maintaining a distinctly non-normative identity. Thus, to quote bell hooks, allowing them "to bring the margin into the center." In ten meetings over the course of the semester, through lectures, discussions, texts, slides, films, and video, we will explore the ways in which transformative integration of queer designs for living have occurred.

Tuesday, February 20, 2024

Monsoon Collector

Below are a couple of the pieces I have made at Cranbrook this year. Although my work so far has not been about queerness explicitly, it is often driven by my body and my search for autonomy and agency. Through architecture, I tend to think from a design / functional place, and have been obsessing over wearables and objects that collect and exhibit rain water.  

Monsoon Collector | Prototype I

2023
recycled plastic, disassembled umbrella, waterproof fabric, elastic

The Colorado River supplies water to 40 million people across seven states and Mexico. Half of Tucson’s water supply comes from the Colorado River via 336 miles of concrete aqueducts known as the Central Arizona Project (CAP). Years of drought and over-allocation of water have depleted the water supply from Lake Mead and Lake Powell. In 2023 Arizona, California, and Nevada have agreed to cut 10% of their water allocation, and continual cuts are inevitable. As populations continue to grow in an uncertain climate future it is imperative that individuals learn to collect, store, and recycle their own water supply. 

Tucson’s annual rainfall equals 144% of Tucson’s annual water demand. 
The future of Arizona water is HYPER LOCAL.




























Monsoon Collector | Prototype 3

2024
recycled plastic, plumbing fixtures, water resistant fabric, elastic, brick, rock, cmu block, cable, hose

I have not yet written a comprehensive statement about this piece, and it has not yet made it to the website. This is another prototype for a water collector. How and where it is used is open ended at this point. As it fills with water, the collector starts to expand. As the weight increases, the less water resistant the fabric becomes. 

The catchment basin was not initially an integral part of the piece, but as I began constructing the rock and rubble wall in a circle, it began to feel significant. Watering holes bring communities together. I this piece evokes an "only take what you need" vibe. 





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