Euphoria/Dysphoria Artist’s Book

“The concept for the book was to visualize some of the experiences, thoughts, and feelings that people in the transgender community and beyond might identify with.” —Ren Barnes

Linocuts and monoprints, both independently and merged by transfer processes, guide the reader through the feeling of being a self in a body that does not suit. Especially potent is the book’s center, where the middle leaf features on both sides feminine breasts, and at the turn of the page swaps between being removed from or added to a masculine chest. The fluidity of the structure, both in this core element and in the ability of the book as a whole to be read in either direction, emulates the fluidity of the gendered experience.

Ren Barnes is assistant professor of graphic and animation design at Longwood University. He received his BFA from the Pennsylvania State University and completed his MFA at the Savannah College of Art and Design.