Ace R Moncrief
Bio
Ace Moncrief is a transgender man from Warner Robins, GA, and attended school at LaGrange College in LaGrange, GA. He graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Art and Design with concentrations in graphic design, drawing, and painting. He is passionate about making art that brings pleasure to the eyes, heart and mind.
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Artist Statement
The purpose of my senior exhibition show is to highlight the important things in my daily life as a transgender man. I have created a series of five paintings and five prints that depict four major items as well as myself. When hung, the paintings create the transgender flag with their backgrounds.
Pills displays the first type of medication that I take on a daily basis, my antidepressants. Many transgender people, including myself, experience gender dysphoria and discomfort with themselves which leads to anxiety and depression. These pills allow my mind to be more at ease and let me concentrate on things such as my art and my relationships with family and friends.
Pins shows the two pins that I wear on my favorite tan jacket, which say “he him his” and “trans rights”. These are my way of subtly showing my pride in my true identity, and are one of the first ways I was able to present myself as masculine without the use of medical transitioning.
Self Portrait is an image of myself wearing one of my favorite clothing items. That clothing item is my tie-dyed hoodie, with blue and pink sections over white. This hoodie is in the colors of the transgender flag, and it allows me to subtly show my pride in my identity.
Binder is an image of a common undergarment transgender men wear, which is a chest binder. It compresses the chest down to make it appear more masculine and “flat”. It is quite constricting and difficult to wear, but mentally I feel it is necessary to wear it in order to be seen as the man that I am.
Testosterone is a painting of my testosterone vial and the needle and syringe used to inject it intramuscularly into my body. This is what will allow me to fully transition into appearing and sounding more masculine, both to myself and others over time. This is the first step that I have made in transitioning medically.
My paintings are intended to make the subject matter pop. In order to make small, simple things seem large and important, I chose to use simple one-color backgrounds and a larger-than-life scale. This allows me to make the simple, everyday things I encounter in my life as a transgender man into great pieces of artwork.
I chose to do linoleum block prints as I can make multiple images of the important icons in my paintings. I also greatly enjoy the block style of printing, as it allows me to use thick lines and bold shapes. I can also reproduce these images for others if they resonate with what I have made, which is the main goal behind my art.
Pills displays the first type of medication that I take on a daily basis, my antidepressants. Many transgender people, including myself, experience gender dysphoria and discomfort with themselves which leads to anxiety and depression. These pills allow my mind to be more at ease and let me concentrate on things such as my art and my relationships with family and friends.
Pins shows the two pins that I wear on my favorite tan jacket, which say “he him his” and “trans rights”. These are my way of subtly showing my pride in my true identity, and are one of the first ways I was able to present myself as masculine without the use of medical transitioning.
Self Portrait is an image of myself wearing one of my favorite clothing items. That clothing item is my tie-dyed hoodie, with blue and pink sections over white. This hoodie is in the colors of the transgender flag, and it allows me to subtly show my pride in my identity.
Binder is an image of a common undergarment transgender men wear, which is a chest binder. It compresses the chest down to make it appear more masculine and “flat”. It is quite constricting and difficult to wear, but mentally I feel it is necessary to wear it in order to be seen as the man that I am.
Testosterone is a painting of my testosterone vial and the needle and syringe used to inject it intramuscularly into my body. This is what will allow me to fully transition into appearing and sounding more masculine, both to myself and others over time. This is the first step that I have made in transitioning medically.
My paintings are intended to make the subject matter pop. In order to make small, simple things seem large and important, I chose to use simple one-color backgrounds and a larger-than-life scale. This allows me to make the simple, everyday things I encounter in my life as a transgender man into great pieces of artwork.
I chose to do linoleum block prints as I can make multiple images of the important icons in my paintings. I also greatly enjoy the block style of printing, as it allows me to use thick lines and bold shapes. I can also reproduce these images for others if they resonate with what I have made, which is the main goal behind my art.