Mister Mistress by David Coons
David Coons’ photo-essay “Mister Mistress” appears in the 2016 volume of the University of Colorado Honors Journal.
Artist’s Statement:
“Mister Mistress” is a fictional narrative photo-essay, presented through a self-portrait. This single portrait is the internal narrative of a transgendered individual, someone who was born as a man, but identifies as a woman. Content and proud to be who she is, “Mistress” wakes up and prepares for her day: bra, skirt, make up, shirt, heels… Suddenly, to her dismay, “Mister” wakes up from the blissful dream that is “Mistress” to the unsettling truth of reality. This living nightmare is a society in which she does not feel tolerates or accepts her for her sexual orientation. The true unfortunate story here is that this narrative is not fiction for many individuals that identify as transgender; honestly, this is a struggle for many individuals who identify with a sexuality that is outside of the heteronormative sphere. As a bisexual man, I personally understand the feelings of the fictional character “Mister Mistress”. Society is a continuously changing structure, but my sexual orientation is not. My wish is for this photo to create conversation and action; the mistreatment of individuals due to their sexual orientation is a serious problem, and it must cease.
Full image:
See this and more at: http://www.colorado.edu/honorsjournal/archives/2016
Find out about submitting your work or applying to join the Honors Journal Editorial Board at honorsjournal.com
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