( in)conspicuous affections I

(in)conspicuous affections comprises of two “rings”, each meant to be worn by two people at one time.

the flowers adorning the rings are meant to both veil the contact between two people, while also simultaneously drawing attention to the beauty of queer affection, and perhaps even the intimacy that can arise from having to keep something hidden from view. veiling the touch references the ways in which queer affection is often hidden from view (or criminalized).

(in)conspicuous affections I is adorned with a pansy, referencing the use of the word pansy as a derogatory term for men who are romantic with other men, suggesting them to be non-masculine and weak, like a flower. the flower calls on a dark reality of the condemnation of queer people and the need to conceal ourselves or our connections to others, while also capturing the beauty of queer affections through form and depths of texture that are simultaneously opulent and imperfect.

too, the positioning of the ring bands calls towards a choreography of queer touch; often teetering the line between friends and lovers, often out of necessity so as to maintain ambiguity in public, sometimes just out of confusion. both the size and positioning of the almost-but-not-quite-separate ring bands ask the wearer(s) to engage with ambiguity, and the intimacy involved in navigating it. ultimately, the work brings visibility to the sometimes-complicated nature of queer love and the process of hiding/being visible.