Dress Blues

Dress Blues is a soft sculpture made from dress patterns in the form of a DDG 111, the guided missile Destroyer I served on. I used to think that because I transitioned after the military that the two events had nothing to do with each other. Now I see them as intrinsically linked and I can hardly think of one without the other. This project addresses the military through the lens of queer and trans theory. Using dress patterns, I am able to reject expectations for the heteronormativity surrounding the military. In this way, I critique the power of this institution and return the power to myself. Not only am I the builder of the ship, but I am also able to fold it up, to carry it with me.