Specimen 1818: What I have Created
Ziccy Delamater
“I, the artist, work as both the Doctor and Monster in a Frankenstein motif.”
— Ziccy
ABOUT
Artist Statement
“By society’s standards, I am characterized by my physical form. My body is examined and judged to be put into easily definable categories. But I am not my body. I am the accumulation of emotions and experiences I have gathered in my lifetime. I am a thing traveling in this physical form.
This piece is one of three paintings in a series titled Specimen 1818 that explores my bodily autonomy as a trans and queer artist. These paintings act as portals for the viewer into a setting where I, the artist, work as both the Doctor and Monster in a Frankenstein motif. As the Doctor, I cut my body apart, stitch it up, and create a physical form that matches how I perceive my own being. This act is continuous, never quite ending, as I constantly search for a perfect representation of myself.”
-Ziccy
“[Specimen 1818 is] An intense investigation of one’s physical body, experiences, and emotion in which Ziccy continues to push the boundaries of self-examination. In their displayed painting, Ziccy illustrates a study, documentation, and determination to explore their own existence. Their body is dissembled and decorated. Cut and stitched. Warped and wrapped. For all to view on acyclic and wood. The illustration program supports and encourages Ziccy’s exploration of grotesque indulgences, queerness and trans visibility.”
— Chris Eliopoulos, Assistant Professor of Instruction
Meet the artist:
Ziccy Delamater
They/Them
Ziccy is a fine artist, illustrator, and street gore fanatic based in Chicago, IL. Using both traditional and digital materials, they explore themes of grotesque indulgences, queerness, and trans visibility. Through studies of the figure, anatomy, and found specimens, Ziccy creates visual narratives inspired by their experiences.
Instagram: @zicronaz
