Jeremiah Birnbaum

Having spent my developmental years within the rigid structures of competitive athletics, the art world has presented itself as an open forum for exploration and expression.  An injury in my freshman year ended my ability to pursue competitive sport and left me with a loss of self-identity.  This loss has impacted how I view myself as an artist; where once my actions and accomplishments previously defined my sense of self, I now refuse to base my identity upon such existential tangibles.  Art like athletics is an extension of who I am, though it does not solely define what I am.  Accepting this approach has allowed me to push beyond previous self imposed limitations and explore my work in new and different directions. 

I began to explore the body's identity, particularly the male body, in order to understand my role within the macrocosm of society at large and the micro society of my family.

Influenced by theories of Judith Butler and Michel Foucault, my work addresses the marginalization of the body in a typically masculine uniform whose function is determined by a male oriented societal hegemony.