Juliet DeBruyn Levya

Insect/o

Direct pinning is a method utilized by entomologist as a way to preserve an insect that allows for the dead specimen to be easily examined. As the name implies this is done through a pin being pushed through the thorax while trying to retain the insect’s natural position. I channel this technique in Insect/o which is a reflection on the construction of my identity in a mixed-race, multicultural family while being surrounded by a primarily white community. In my interactive installation the viewer is invited to pin a stereotypical and/or kitsch object associated with Dutch or Mexican culture in place of a head on a print created from a photo of myself, creating an identity for me in the process.  

While the objects presented are often seen as shallow depictions of the two different cultures that only scratch the surface of their complexities, they hold importance to me due to being factors in shaping my cultural identity. However, the objects vary in personal significance. Some of which come with a genuine connection and have been integrated into my life through family traditions, particularly those centered around food. Others have been introduced through how these cultures have been represented in media and education that stems from a white perspective. As a result, how Dutch and Mexican culture are represented vary. Despite some of this representation being questionable, the objects have been adopted in effort to create a closer connection to cultures that were underrepresented. 

By the viewer selecting and pinning one of these objects, it creates an identity for me based on their associations with that they have chosen. The viewer’s associations and their choices determine what factors they believe should be discouraged or reinforced. This method of attaching objects is modeled after the preservation of a dead insect; However, in this artwork the viewer is pinning an object on a living body. Through the body mimicking movement, the object is something that continues to have influence over me and how I perceive myself rather than being an artifact that has been left behind in the past.