Vedder Rivard

My name is Vedder Rivard, and I enjoy creating all kinds of art that reflects my unique life experiences and world views. My digital collage titled The Woke Agenda was inspired by my feelings about the extreme and completely incorrect narrative surrounding LGBTQ+ education, specifically the concept that students are being "converted" in schools to be LGBTQ+. I also thought about all the negativity that's been directed towards drag queens recently, so my final piece depicts young students being transformed into another gender by drag queen teachers carrying hormone guns during a class called The Woke Agenda in which straight White students are bullied for their straight Whiteness. This was inspired by the other comically wild idea I've seen depicted online that the government will become so "woke" that straight White citizens will start being punished---and even executed! Altogether, I've found the recent views towards LGBTQ+ people to be so misguided that they're almost comical which led to my satirical depiction of said views. I think that many people are confused and overwhelmed by their feelings about LGBTQ+ identities which results in anger rather than curiosity, causing LGBTQ+ people to become the scapegoat for real issues, leading to book banning, hostility towards drag queens, and hostility towards the trans community. I wish that the people harboring these anti-LGBTQ+ views knew that conversion therapy only exists in the anti-LGBTQ+ form, and our society still pushes for cis-heteronormativity more than anything else from the day that we're born. I also wish they knew that all queer people want is to live comfortably as their true selves, not force other people to be queer too---can't we focus on the (MANY) real issues in the world that actually deserve the time and energy that's been overwhelmingly directed towards LGBTQ+ people?

My second piece is a painting called Drifting Apart which depicts two skeletons separating, causing their heart to tear. Their depiction as skeletons represents the deep level of their friendship, as if they shared the same bones and heart, together forming one whole person. The painting represents the feeling of pain and loneliness that accompanies the event of losing a connection with an important person.

Finally, the digital print of my multimedia sculpture Bound depicts the feeling of reaching out desperately but being constantly restricted by societal forces. This concept can specifically be applied to the plight of those facing barriers due to their identities. The binder clips add to this sense of desperation, providing an additional level of reinforcement for the transparent barrier that's already restricting the hands.

  • The Woke Agenda

    Medium: Digital, Digital Print
    Size: 11 x 17 in
    $100

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  • Drifting Apart

    Medium: Acrylic
    Size: 20 x 16 in
    $100

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  • Bound

    Medium: Digital Print, Wood, paper mache, tape, glue, wire, toilet paper rolls, foam base, trash bag, binder clips, newspaper, paint
    Size: 18 x 24 in
    $100

    Purchase
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