Gay gardens: Visual anachronisms and the subversive politics of lesbian representation

This paper is a direct transcription of the performed presentation which was delivered at the conference for the FORMAT19 International Photography Festival, for which I acted as co-organiser and co-editor. This presentation supported my exhibition of the work within the festival.
The paper given discusses philosophical issues arising around contemporary representation of lesbian and queer identities in context to its historical counterpart. This paper, like the work itself, continues to playfully and precariously position the work in-between the fictional and documentary, challenging the sensibilities of its audience. Additionally, through the performance of the paper, other research concerns of the subversive nature of this practice were transposed.
The paper was presented by a carefully rehearsed imposter version of my academic self. I became my own anonymous audience heckler, undermining the validity of the claims in the research, resulting in my/their dramatic removal from the premises.
This work sought to test the expectations of conference conventions, the shutting down of institutional challenge and debate, the erasure of the female voice, the imposter sensibilities of academics, and the inversion of authoritative roles.
The work was live streamed along with other conference proceedings and documented through photographs as illustrated within the chapter.

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