Beyond the Binary

2016 - 

photography | mixed media | film

Launched in 2016, Beyond the Binary is an ongoing multimedia series and social practice created by Janice Bond. The work examines the kinship between the self-identified woman’s body and nature. A complex structure in nature is often met with wonder, reverence, and desire. A woman labeled as complex is often perceived as confusing, a liability, or worse, a threat. From anatomy to love, pleasure to personal safety, history repeatedly exposes the lens of age, race, class, respectability, politics, and gender’s influence on societal norms. Bond believes it is imperative for women, particularly women of color to take the lead in documenting each other across mediums and platforms. By both providing sanctuary and reflection, this “work in progress” is an intergenerational and intercultural sisterhood, a new form of cultural mapping built on the trust, liberation, and love of women around the world.

Beyond the Binary made its debut at Woman Made Gallery in Chicago, Illinois January 22 - February 29, 2016. #BeyondTheBinary

BE CAREFUL WITH MOTHER: NOTES FROM BEYOND THE BINARY

Curated by La Keisha Leek

Exhibition Dates: August 4 – September 9, 2017

Location: Filter Space 1821 W. Hubbard St., Ste. 207

Curator and Arts Administrator La Keisha Leek organized this exhibition for Filter Photo where Bond presents a meditation on woman as giving tree, caretaker, and human. BeCareful with Mother: Notes from Beyond the Binary, delves deeper into memory, familial relationships, humor, healing, love, and self-reflection. Each story curve, laugh line, every coil and scar, is a part of both the anatomical and socioeconomic landscape we navigate daily whether we are aware of it or not. The same ties that in many instances have pulled women apart, bound and kept them silent, can also strengthen.

"It's imperative for us as women, particularly women of color to take the lead in documenting each other across mediums and platforms. Each story, curve, laugh line, every coil and scar, is apart of both the anatomical and socioeconomic landscape we navigate daily whether we are aware of it or not. ...The same ties that in many instances have pulled us apart, bound us, kept us silent, can also strengthen us.Beyond the Binary is an inter-generational and intercultural sisterhood, a new form of cultural mapping built on the trust, liberation, and love of women around the world. From comrades to the coven. We loving. We living. We being."  - Janice Bond

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