Parameters of Spooning: In the Site of Possibility explores the intersections of craft, identity, and self-discovery through the creation of spoons. Stemming from an abundance of curiosity, my research took the form of learning new skills as a way to access the self. The process of learning, both of materiality and of self, centred around the question: what does it mean to queer an object? This work explores these skills and applies them to the form of the spoon, continually pushing this form further and further into ‘uselessness.’ These spoons—in ceramic, wood, metal, bronze, and woven natural materials— investigate failure as a queer possibility for transformation and growth. Through the queering of the spoon, I reimagine their purpose and transcend traditional notions of functionality, failure, and a possibility for trans and queer futurity.
This project was shown at the Special Projects Gallery at York University as part of my MFA thesis exhibition, funded by a Canada Graduate Scholarship from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, 2024. Full research paper can be found through the York University Library.
