Elliott Smith
Utilising both large-scale soft sculpture and film, I create immersive installations examining
the relationship between anxiety, absurdity, and queer identity. Influenced by the camp
transgressive aesthetics of John Waters and queer filmmakers of the 1970s, I invite viewers to look beyond the initial shock of nudity and engage with my representations of anxiety as a
persistent, parasitic force, whilst contradicting this panic with the strength, power and
resilience of the feminine form.
As a drag and burlesque performer, creativity and queerness often intersect in my work. My
drag specifically stems from the ‘Bastard’ drag style of Birmingham which praises the
chaotic, abstract and unfiltered artistic approach that I took for The Bastard Queendom.
Through humour, discomfort, and exaggeration, the installation enabled me to confront the
complexities of my anxiety without judgement and ultimately create an atmosphere of
unapologetic queer chaos.