Mel Dixon: To Feel The Tremor
Join us for 'To Feel the Tremor' by Mel Dixon, a culmination of Dixon's research thesis, 'Dear Roni, Love Mel: Feminist Autotheory as Fandom.'
Dear Roni, Love Mel: Feminist Autotheory as Fandom employs an autotheoretical methodology to
research fandom through my adoration of artist Roni Horn, examining how gender, sexuality,
performativity, and embodiment manifest within my art practice. As both a fan and autotheorist,
I investigate the interplay of these themes as methods of revealing the queer self, guided by the
question: How can the lived experience of being a fan embody an autotheoretical art practice?
Drawing on theorists Lauren Fournier, Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick, Catherine Grant, and Kate
Random Love, I consider fandom a participatory culture where fans function as consumers and
creators, providing valuable methodologies for art practices and writing. Fournier conceptualises
autotheory as the integration of self with theory in performative and self-aware ways, while
Grant and Random Love position fandom as a blend of creative and critical engagement driven
by identification and desire.
The research centres on my passion and fandom for the work and practice of Horn, whose work
I have admired for over 15 years. To deepen this inquiry, I spent four weeks at an artist residency
in Iceland in September 2024 to fully immerse myself in the place that has inspired Horn and
served as her symbolic muse for over 40 years. Through close readings of Horn’s works, her
narrative, and the mediums of photography, self-portraiture, and fandom objects such as beaded
friendship bracelets and the emulation of Horn’s drawing practice into collage format, I
intertwine theoretical insights with artistic practice.
Event Details
- Date:
- 26 February 2025 at 12:00 pm – 1 March 2025 at 5:00 pm
- Venue:
- MADA Gallery
- Categories:
- Fine Art; Graduate Research; Gallery / Exhibition; Gallery: MADA Gallery
Description
Join us for 'To Feel the Tremor' by Mel Dixon, a culmination of Dixon's research thesis, 'Dear Roni, Love Mel: Feminist Autotheory as Fandom.'
Dear Roni, Love Mel: Feminist Autotheory as Fandom employs an autotheoretical methodology to
research fandom through my adoration of artist Roni Horn, examining how gender, sexuality,
performativity, and embodiment manifest within my art practice. As both a fan and autotheorist,
I investigate the interplay of these themes as methods of revealing the queer self, guided by the
question: How can the lived experience of being a fan embody an autotheoretical art practice?
Drawing on theorists Lauren Fournier, Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick, Catherine Grant, and Kate
Random Love, I consider fandom a participatory culture where fans function as consumers and
creators, providing valuable methodologies for art practices and writing. Fournier conceptualises
autotheory as the integration of self with theory in performative and self-aware ways, while
Grant and Random Love position fandom as a blend of creative and critical engagement driven
by identification and desire.
The research centres on my passion and fandom for the work and practice of Horn, whose work
I have admired for over 15 years. To deepen this inquiry, I spent four weeks at an artist residency
in Iceland in September 2024 to fully immerse myself in the place that has inspired Horn and
served as her symbolic muse for over 40 years. Through close readings of Horn’s works, her
narrative, and the mediums of photography, self-portraiture, and fandom objects such as beaded
friendship bracelets and the emulation of Horn’s drawing practice into collage format, I
intertwine theoretical insights with artistic practice.