Imagine a world where it doesn’t matter who you love, just that you love.
An Impossibly Normal Life is an artifact from another world, a more loving, inclusive one where who you love is of little societal importance. This fictional story, centered on my imagined uncle’s idealized life, is created from collected vintage snapshots from around the world.
Two years ago, my mother offhandedly mentioned that I had an uncle who may have been gay, but he died not long after I was born. Hearing this revelation for the first time, nearly thirty years after I had struggled to come out to my disapproving family, sent my mind spinning. The thought of a family member so close to me going through some of the same things I did inspired me to create this story.
Instead of returning to the hiding or shame of most pre-1970’s queer stories, a reality of how our world was (and in some cases, still is), I have created an alternate history where fluidity in gender and sexuality is the societal norm. Collecting original, found snapshot photographs from all over the world, I have assembled a collection of images that capture our hero, Uncle Ken, with a sassy hip out in his teens or a loving kiss at his wedding. Normal, everyday moments of him, his friends, and lovers, chosen with care. I have collected ephemera and created letters between him and loved ones as a way to share and fill-out more of his story. Engaging with the photos further, I am adding color and energy through glitter and rhinestones, a nod to the long history of queer nightlife and drag, to enhance the images with the spirit of joy and celebration. A celebration of not only what his world could have been, but what ours still can be.
