Continuing with my interest in text I have been working on a sound piece this week. By transcripting make up tutorials from Youtube I have taken the words completely out of the friendly, youthful original context. The bizarre phrases seem normal when accompanied by a smiling face and jaunty backing music, but how would the audience react when I change these factors?

I have also been thinking a lot about identity. The idea for this piece was originally intended as a feminist statement on beauty standards, but after watching the film Paris is Burning this is changing in my work. The film shows the drag queen and gay culture of 80's Newyork; is my focus on only women and make-up too narrow minded when there are many other complicated issues to explore?

This prompted me to use male voicesto read my script, subverting the traditional gender stereotypes. I am notyet sure how to edit the clips: whether to play them simultaneously; either on one track, or on several different speakers; whether to split the tracks so parts play at different times, or to change the volume of parts to change which are more prominent at different times. I am experiementing with all of these options, however using the computer program is proving hard for me (I struggle with new programs) so a lot of work is needed before my piece will be finished. 

(image from http://www.oystermag.com/sites/default/files/wp-archive/2011/01/paris-is-burning-poster.jpg)