The object from the queer looks exhibition that I had chosen to do this project on was the patch. This patch included the phrase “My gender and transness cannot be defined in a single image”, embroidered onto it. I had originally chosen this patch because I liked the thread work and I felt confident in this area. In past projects I have experimented a lot within the mixed media area and wanted to continue this. When I first read the quote I didn’t really understand it but when I began thinking further into the actual quote I felt that I could relate and adapt it more to me. The quote itself is so small yet so powerful and I there was many paths to go down with this object. For me the idea of identity and not being able to capture one’s whole personality and identity in a single image. To start off this project I began looking into thread and patches within the fashion industry. My original idea was to recreate this patch in my own way and then put it onto a piece of clothing. I had wanted the clothing piece to be gender neutral such as a suit jacket etc. and model it on both male and female.  I researched into stitch work and patchwork within the industry, one of the books I looked into was a book called “The Subversive Stitch”, this book spoke about how the act of embroidery is traditionally thought of as a “woman’s” job and the book went into the feminist side to needlework. I liked the idea of taking on the ideology and making it into a gender neutral piece.  The more I looked into it I realized that this wasn’t going to work for me and I felt that this response was too literal so I re-evaluated my plan. I then came up with the idea to create a mixed media piece using my photography and thread. I began by researching artists and the two artists that I had chose was Maurizio Anzerio and Jose Rommussi. They are two male artists and I liked that because they don’t conform to the ‘norm’ ideology of thread work being a feminine thing. Using their embroidery, they touch of social and political issues, creating a psychological aura within their pieces, touching on mental health etc. The artist Jose Rommussi spoke about beauty and identity and the quote that stuck with me was “beauty is skin deep”, in taking away the face of the model it becomes more about the feeling and story behind that piece rather than the beauty of the model. In covering up their faces you are taking away the identity of that model and in using thread that is placed messily it feels as though the feelings and frustrations are coming out in the photo. In todays society beauty is hugely desired and with pressures to be pretty and perfect due to social media sites such as Instagram, this is why I like the idea of taking away the beauty on the outside it becomes about what is on the inside. I then decided to keep the eye of every model uncovered as I liked the quote being “the eyes are the window to the soul” and I feel that in leaving the eye uncovered you can see more into the mind of the person and still get a sense of who they are.