Fraser Owen, currently in his second year on our course, offers a unique perspective merging gender-bending electronic music production and cross-dressing. This month we talk to him about his inspirations, visions and current projects. Fraser will be performing under his ‘Vince Vanity’ alias as part of the IDS showcase, this thursday @ Werks Central.
DMSA: Three important words that represent you as a creative person
FO: Ambitious, Provocative, Contemporary.
DMSA: When did you start working with sound and music?
FO: In my early teens I discovered electronic music and began to experiment using software belonging to my father (a video editor).
DMSA: In what ways has the DMSA course supported or helped you to develop into who you are today creatively and professionally?
FO: The exposure to a wide range of existing work has broadened my horizons and pushed me to re-evaluate my relationship to both sound, and the wider world of art. In my practical work I have begun to realize my aesthetic approach and apply it through a range of mediums and purposes.
DMSA: Can you tell us a bit more about your project Vince Vanity?
FO: Vince is the pseudonym I created for drag performance. Although Vince is a character/aesthetic, I also wanted her to reflect the thoughts and emotions in ourselves we try to ignore or hide, to provoke and connect to people on a personal level, and also as an experiment of self-discovery. Drag has also proved to be a way of expressing the thoughts, emotions, and interests which I do acknowledge but would rather not personify in my everyday life. I knew early on that I wanted to release music as Vince but delayed it until I felt completely comfortable expressing myself through this format. Working under the pseudonym, I found I had a much more focused approach by not letting too many of my personal feelings leak into the creative process. I also found a sense of liberation, possibly from the idea of hiding behind a character, and began to experiment a lot more. I have now created music, visuals, performance work, and combinations of these under this name.
DMSA: Other plans for the future? projects, events, visions?
FO: I would like to continue working in nightlife as a performer, to contribute to ensuring art maintains its place in the forefront. I am currently working on more music and more elaborate performances. I would like to work on more collaborative projects and begin to offer my skills as a freelance artist; where this will take me, I am unsure of, but I am excited for the future regardless.
Web: https://www.instagram.com/vince.vanity/