Nearly three years into my cis-het, monogamous marriage, I learned I was queer. I received nothing but support from my husband and family and, for a while, everything was calm. However, as I was working to understand myself within self-imposed and religious boundaries, my life and relationship grew more uncertain. Emotions both familiar and new moved me through highs and lows I had not experienced before. Simultaneously, my husband began experiencing suicidal ideation triggered by our uncertainty and complications from the weaning of a medication. After he recovered and our lives gained more stability, I felt moved to illustrate the emotions I experienced during what has infamously become known to us as "The Summer."
Using expired silver gelatin paper and materials such as butter, mud, or blood, I leaned into the unpredictability of each print, paralleling the unpredictability of that time of my life. With each print containing a bundle of emotions, the series portrays some of my feelings navigating a mixed-orientation marriage.
