An interview with Q-STAGE: New Works Series artist Yoni Tamang
Who are you?
I am in the phylum of vertebrates. Hominid, homo, gurl--I have used many pronouns. None of which fit. How will we work things out? (I believe that we will.) I am easily traceable; I have a miniature computer with a GPS tracking device that I take with me everywhere I go (no it’s not embedded in my skin; we are merely codependent). I know my ancestry for approximately 4, maybe 5 generations. After that things become...impressionistic. Although each of us possesses an infinitely complex bric-a-brac of genetic variance, in this society I have inherited the racial moniker of “mixed.”
What can you tell us about the work you're presenting as part of Q-STAGE? Who or what asks this work of you?
I might call it a stab at something new. The genre of science fiction, the medium of film, writing for the screen, these are all novel pursuits for me. If you aren’t new here, I thank you in advance for your warm welcome. I’ve had fun in your wheelhouse.
For a long time the performing arts have been not just havens for young Queers but also an opportunity for expression and community, and for many a pathway towards identity. Any encouraging words to a Queer kid who's struggling with the limitations present in performance today?
I never got it right. I just got better at trying and failing. It never got easier. It just got familiar.
What's something you've learned about making art in the last few years that you think helped you become more in tune with your vision?
In about 7.5 billion years the sun will engulf the earth.
Who are some Queer Artists (local or otherwise) you want to shout out? Who should we be paying attention to?
The wit, devastation, and mutability of the work of the inimitable Aegor Ray. Although elusive, he can be found on twitter @itsteensy.
Any plans for the work beyond Q-STAGE? What is next for you?
I have been interested in becoming irrelevant, and in order to do this I think I’d like to start making cave paintings, entombed in unfindable locations. I wonder what the work of art is if it is meant for the eyes of god alone. If we are afloat in a cipher, and all that is left are the words, are they even the right ones? I’d like to find out. After that I’ll probably be making installation art in Portland or trying to get The Fawn published. I have a half baked draft of a novel too. We’ll see what happens.
Yoni's new work Excerpts from The Fawn will be screened Thursday, March 18 - Sunday, March 21.