RHINOCEROS
The inspiration for my work, in part, is the play Rhinoceros, written in 1959 by absurdist playwright Eugene Ionesco. In this story, a rhinoceros runs through a small town in France, causing people to physically transform into rhinoceroses, seemingly due to a mysterious epidemic. As people in power, such as military and government leaders choose to “turn”, others follow. Berenger, the main character in the play, is the only one who doesn’t conform. He bandages his head to prevent a horn from growing out of it in an effort to maintain his identity.
One year after reading Rhinoceros, the themes of the play became real to me. I was at a bar, singled out, and beaten by seven men. These men decided that I was physically an easy target. They formed a circle around me, verbally humiliated me, and beat me unconscious. When I came to, the bouncer had me in a chokehold and I had to beg to be released. There were three patrons on the patio that could see the events taking place in the bar that laughed at me when it was all over.
This event has affected my work in some way ever since.
Themes I am specifically investigating in my work include masculinity, violence, control, peer pressure, loss of innocence, voyeurism, and conformity.
