The Lavender Scare

“During the McCarthy era, there was state-sanctioned discrimination when President Eisenhower signed Executive Order 10450, which became part of a national witch-hunt to purge homosexual men and women from the federal government. Dubbed "The Lavender Scare" by historian David K. Johnson, the suffocating climate of fear and suspicion subsequently led to around 5,000 federal agency employees losing their jobs on the basis of their sexuality.”

Lavender Man is a physical representation of how one cannot hide their true nature, no matter how much we dress the part. His limbs almost hang as if in cuffs, and his dated suit jacket hints at an era when masculinity was defined by a single, rigid archetype.

Lavender Man was made during a residency in the forests of Haverfordwest whilst camping with friends. My mother had recently culled her lavender hedge, and I had found the jacket at a charity shop. After being exhibited in Cardiff at both ‘Umbrella’ and ‘CultVR’ in 2021, the lavender was returned to the earth; placed on the wicker casket of a family member who died after contracting Covid.