Yes, NO: Text Portraits of Consent

A series of drawings and paintings of the words “yes” and “no” selected from literary and academic texts at pivotal moments in the narrative. 

 

Beyond Endurance
from The Erotic as Power by Audre Lorde
oil on circular panel
22 inches
2020

 
 

“We have been raised to fear the yes within ourselves, our deepest cravings. But, once recognized, those which do not enhance our future lose their power and can be altered. The fear of our desires keeps them suspect and indiscriminately powerful, for to suppress any truth is to give it strength beyond endurance.” —Audre Lorde, The Erotic as Power

 

This ongoing body of work analyzes how the etymology of the words “yes” and “no” have impacted our understanding of consent.

By examining how these words have been mobilized in a variety of literary and academic texts, I am creating a multifaceted portrait of consent within both sexual and non-sexual contexts. 

I select each word from texts that explore consent politics from multiple vantage points, including stories relating to queer and trans experiences, while highlighting authors of color. As I read each book, essay, or article, I am searching for moments in the text where a “yes” or a “no” significantly impacts the narrative. These utterances could be verbalized through dialogue, expressed as internal thought, or utilized pragmatically in an academic essay.  

Each portrait is painted from direct observation of the word on the printed page. Visual elements such as color, contrast, and emphasis vary in accordance with the context of the narrative and emotional tone of the text overall.

I approach this project with the following questions in mind:

-Is a “yes” or “no” interpreted differently when it is uttered by a marginalized person?
-Who has the ability to be respected and heard when accepting or refusing something? 
-In situations where consent hangs in the balance, how do power dynamics shift in relationship to a protagonists’ subjectivity? 

 

Without Exception
oil on circular panel
22 inches
2022

 

Do YOU have a literary or academic text that you think I should add to this series?

I would love to know your suggestions! I am looking for texts where a “yes” or a “no” plays an important role in the narrative. See the examples below of texts that I am currently working with.

Submit your Yes/No text suggestion using this form