presentation

1. t h e i n v i s i b l e m a l e
a conversational collage of queer identity and difference

2. research - initial
I based my initial research on the
continuation and expansion of my CP2 project
taken in 2nd Year. Through this project I was
left with many questions and themes
surrounding the subject of masculinity,
identity and difference as well as the
correlation between myself as a designer and
my own individual queerness.
I became interested in exploring and
questioning the nature of difference within
the LGBTQ+ community.
My early approach was focused on creating a
personal project which allowed me to continue
with the academic nature of my CP2 work
whilst also allowing me to move into a new
practice free of the intimidation of a
written piece of work.
My first question was simple and concise and
set the foundation for my continued research:
Is my identity and queerness directly
influencing my design direction?
Contextualising Practice - Modern Bodies

3. research - secondary
Having established a pathway for my research,
I started looking at individual roles within
the LGBTQ+ community and the idea of
subcultures. I wanted to uncover the
different approaches and attitudes towards
constructed and natural identity attributes.
“Queer identity cannot possibly arise in the
absence of a queer subculture” - Rictor Norton
The idea that identity is formed through
social surroundings and outsider influence
fascinated me and so led to me breaking down
the social roles within the community, for
example the bears, twinks, chubs, femmes etc.
Social Constructs and Identity

4. research - continued
Is my style and art direction based on my own
identity and past? Am I consciously
influenced by my own life experiences as an
out queer male?
I began to question the idea of the self, a
theme which had been a focus of my work in
second year. I focused on the idea of the
self being the inner personality rather than
the constructed ‘outside’ personality. How
can I explore this theme whilst engaging with
my own practice as a designer?
Continuing with this research, I moved onto
body image and the psychological and social
effects this has on the individual. I spoke
about this in depth through my CP2 work and
felt that body image has been a constant
factor in the development of the LGBTQ+
community as well as its emergence into
popular culture and media.
Individuality and the self

5. visual research

6. visual research

7. keywords and themes
identity difference masculinity
otherness constructs physicality
queerness individual personality
social awareness insiderness
manchester design responsibility

8. style and direction
I knew from the beginning that I wanted to
create something which would reflect both my
personality and aesthetic preferences. I was
aware that whilst my subject was not directly
related to design, the finished outcome would
be a reflection of myself as a designer, an
individual and my own skills.
My main focus was on researching documentary
film styles, however this moved into watching
numerous interviews and DIY style student
films. I took great interest in listening to
audio interviews and conversations and this
helped to shape and mould the direction of my
finished piece.
Before beginning to piece together plans for
filming, I decided on a conversational
approach rather than a typical documentary. I
hoped to achieve a DIY visual style whilst
maintaining the core ideas and influences.

9. PROCESS
I spent one day filming numerous
conversations with friends with the intention
of gathering different viewpoints and
opinions on the subject of masculinity and
difference, however once this was completed I
discovered that one conversation in
particular provided the most in depth views
on the subject. This led to decided to focus
on one conversation rather than multiple.
To compliment this, I created a spoken word
‘script’ alongside the conversation which
aimed to guide the viewer without providing a
defined and definite narrative. I intended on
allowing the viewer to decide on their own
interpretation whilst maintaining the core
thematic and visual goal.

10. EDITING
The editing process allowed me to piece
together the filmed footage alongside other
footage I had collected previous to beginning
the project. I also included stock footage
which was intended to compliment the
conversation and provide a side narrative.
The intention with this approach was to
create a ‘video collage’ in order to further
the DIY approach to the piece.
I purposely blurred the footage in order to
provide an almost anonymous feel. This
gradually fades to reveal the interviewee
towards the mid to end of the video.
The overall feeling I wanted was a blend of
audio visual with a DIY documentary
atmosphere. I feel the editing compliments
this idea and helped achieve the initial
goals set out at the beginning of the
project. I was happy that I had created a
substantial piece of work which complimented
my practice whilst also allowing me to expand
on the academic subjects covered during my
contextual studies in second year.

11. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S51i48w7yF4