Depicting four rural ‘things’ – a copse, a stone trough, a mast antenna and a researcher – this photo, taken in rural Somerset was produced as part of a creative methodology. My research explores LGBTQ+ experiences in rural areas and considers whether the countryside can be thought in a queer way. With the Mendip hills in the background, and being taken in a field, the photo also neatly captures my experience of ethnographic field-work.

In this self-portrait, which is a still from some video work, I feature alongside what I have deemed rural objects. Although positioned at varying distances from the camera, the four rural ‘things’ are lined up on the horizontal axis which allows for easy comparison. In this way, the photograph helps me to ask: am I, is my queer body, also rural?

School of Humanities and Social Science

Lead supervisor: Stephen Maddison