I find myself in a continuous conundrum of design etiquette, personal preference, and the societal or ethical need to record the changes that occur in trans bodies in every aspect of my work. Though much of my work is autobiographical, it resonates with the queer and trans experience and the newfound sense to bodily awareness present in many trans and non-binary people’s lives. My focus and art praxis has drastically evolved over the years but two things remain constant; the creation of happy characters to foil traditional fine art paintings and challenge the notion of “high art”, which are seen in higher value and serve to continue the classist practice of premeditated rules within art spaces, and to challenge those who determine groups of art or marginalized people to be valid or invalid, and how they prioritize their own influence over others. Essentially, I wish to highlight the marginalized, othered, and more unusual aspects of the human experience and normalize them.

My goal for the two-week residency is to make one large scale painting in ratio to 36 inches. The painting will be primarily executed with acrylic paint, but I do wish to include some more sculptural and textural elements to make it break through the white canvas and serve as a more interactive dynamic painting that jumps off the white wall and continue my theme of the body reimagined through food.

Frankie Gutierrez graduated with a BFA of Illustration from California College of the Arts, and now is a candidate of the CSUSB Master of Fine Arts program in Southern California. Their work is a confused mixed bag of spray paint, acrylic, markers, crayons, and ceramic, highlighting the playful nature of gender fluidity, queerness, and the trans identity.