Title: Lea-Minal Edges: Prompts for Transitory States of Being
Authors: paula roush and hḗrā santos
Medium: Collaborative portraiture presented in five sections: Wet Vortex, Ritual Landscapes, Archive of the Transitory State of Being, Art Therapy for a Trans Body, Body Scans. Each section uses photographic prints, colage, cyanotypes, and archival methods, created on uncoated indigo-printed paper.
This work is part of the Follow Y/Our River research project, blending art practice, personal narratives, and socio-ecological mapping. Rooted in the Lower Lea Valley, it examines the intersections of urban landscapes, trans identity, and environmental history. It explores sites like the Middlesex Filter Beds into liminal spaces for performing transition and identity through collaborative portraiture and experimental photography. Techniques include cyanotypes made with river-sourced water, archival documents highlighting the journey of gender transition, and intimate body scans to explore trauma, healing, and self-representation. These elements coalesce into a deep meditation on transitory states, personal memory, and collective resilience.
hḗrā clothes archive: yellow dress and scarf from Beyond Retro, Dalston; leather coat with lamb fur, present from dad to mom;
Chopova Lowena blouse AW21 with Noir Kei Niomiya AW21 skirt, both from Dover Street Market; orange hand made dress by Claudí
contact
paula roush ::: paularoush@gmail.com
msdm studio ::: msdm@msdm.org.uk