Parameters of Spooning: In the Site of Possibility

Parameters of Spooning: In the Site of Possibility explores the intersections of craft, identity, and self-discovery through the creation of spoons. Stemming from an abundance of curiosity, my research took the form of learning new skills as a way to access the self. The process of learning, both of materiality and of self, centred around the question: what does it mean to queer an object? The work I produced during my MFA explores these skills and applies them to the form of the spoon, continually pushing this form further and further into ‘uselessness.’ These spoons—in ceramic, wood, metal, bronze, and woven natural materials—investigate failure as a queer possibility for transformation and growth. Through the queering of the spoon, I reimagine their purpose and transcend traditional notions of functionality, failure, and a possibility for trans and queer futurity. This paper is written to accompany my MFA thesis exhibition, which will be on display from April 15th to April 19th 2024, in the Special Projects Gallery at York University.