Inspired by genre-defining artists such as Marcel Duchamp and Robert Mapplethorpe, Austn Fischer’s latest body of work Jesters Gender Game is an exploration of the fluidity of one’s self. Intellectualising the notion of gender identity through the work of American philosopher Judith Butler, whose theories on gender performance have added an academic understanding to a universal experience of play, Fischer’s artistic expression is imbued with a playful sense of self-discovery.

Reinterpreting archetypes of traditional masculinity by subverting societal ideas of what a cowboy, devil or bodybuilder should look like, the subjects in Fischer’s work embody the freedom which comes from disregarding inhibitions. Weaving a contradicting tapestry of clothing, make-up and body language, participants embody narratives of identity and liberation as Fischer invites the viewer to reflect on their own assumptions of gender and embrace diversity.

Ella Joyce: How did you arrive at the title, Jesters Gender Game?
Austn Fischer: Jesters Gender Game came from me reflecting on my gender identity and the game that I play every day when putting myself together. My work has always encompassed gender performance. While working on this project, I learned that my gender performance is silly, goofy, and not meant to be taken seriously.

EJ: When creating the project, was there an overarching idea or message you were aiming to articulate? Can you walk us through the ideas behind it?
AF: I am interested in the characteristics and traits that we use in identifying ourselves. This project is an exploration and celebration of how we identify, and the performance of gender. I was inspired by gender performance after leaving my home town in Wisconsin, I’m from a very small town of around 4,000 people. Growing up I was always fighting with my own identity and how to behave to appease the community I was in. When leaving Wisconsin and moving to London I was interested in the new ways I saw self-expression. Being queer and only really understanding this properly after leaving America, I find it difficult to go back and be myself. I felt judged for dressing ‘feminine’ or dressing in a way other than the norm. I found it baffling that things like your clothing or hair dictated how people would treat you.

“My gender performance is silly, goofy, and not meant to be taken seriously”

EJ: Are there any photographers or artists whose work inspired this series?
AF: Photographically and physiologically this project is motivated by artists like Robert Mapplethorpe, Claude Cahun, and Marcel Duchamp. Theorists like Judith Butler pushed the narrative of this work and helped me to understand the psychology behind gender performance. It’s also heavily influenced by the Dada movement and German expressionism. These movements are particularly important because they are both post-World War movements and show an unconventional way to reflect on a dark time.

“traditional Hollywood representations of masculinity, like the cowboy and the devil, are included”

EJ: The work of Judith Butler is referenced a great deal in your work, what was it that drew you to her theories?
AF: I’m drawn to Judith Butler’s theories because of her current take on modern gender. She reflects on all forms of gender expression and examines the complex nuances on the spectrum of gender performance in a way no one else has. Lots of early artists like Claude Cahun or Marcel Duchamp explore gender performance, but without the context Butler provides it has no academic backing. Butler transforms the conversation of gender performance and sets the precedent for artists like myself to better understand how gender is performed.

EJ: You photographed a diverse array of characters for this project, how did you go about finding them?
AF: The subject is everything in my work because they represent my ideas. I had certain archetypes I wanted to be sure were included in the project. The strong man, for example, appears in several of the images. Perhaps some of the most extreme forms of masculine behaviour are seen through fighting or weightlifting. Also, traditional Hollywood representations of masculinity, like the cowboy and the devil, are included. I am interested in how the media helps push the societal expectations of gender, so naturally I become very interested in the archetypes they reflect on.

“Theorists like Judith Butler pushed the narrative of this work and helped me to understand the psychology behind gender performance.”

EJ: How does your work comment on the relationship between clothing and gender?
AF: A lot of the styling in my work is quite revealing at times. I do this to push a certain idea of the body I’m photographing but change its perception with the necklaces, hats, underwear, and shoes. I like to juxtapose a ‘traditional’ body by using unconventional clothing. There are several that you can attribute to a person’s gender identity, I believe one of those attributes is hair. I always like to have the subject wearing a hat, a wig, or a hairstyle that reflects an era of art that the body is counteracting.

EJ: What do you hope people take away from this body of work?
AF: It’s something I struggle to answer, in so many ways I want to say to just look at it and figure it out. My favourite thing about art is how it’s individual to each person and you can’t control how people react. I hope people take away a new sense of self-understanding and reflect on what creates their identity, and how they categorise others. I’d like people to reflect on this, and understand why that thought process exists.

Austn’s work will be on display at Budapest’s PH21 Gallery until November 11th, more info here. Check out Austn on Instagram here.