Code Switch
Fine Art
Jonathen Wilks
A Brief Intro
Code Switch is a self-portrait about my struggles with identity and religion. The title refers to the concept of code switching: when someone from a marginalized group changes how they present themselves in order to appease a dominant culture. For me, that meant hiding parts of myself, trying to appear more heterosexual or masculine to fit in and protect myself.
The painting explores the tension between who I was forced to be and who I wanted to become. The left side of the composition is painted as “dead.” I used dull browns and blues to make my skin appear desaturated and lifeless, reflecting the emotional toll of hiding. The right side is painted as “alive,” showing myself as I wanted to look: vibrant, colorful, and honest. The painting represents the personal cost of hiding and the relief of visibility.
I started by taking reference photos of myself, dressed how I wanted to appear in the painting: with natural makeup, painted nails, my cross bracelet, and my favorite blue plaid shirt. I took around 50 photos in similar poses before choosing the one I liked most.
I painted the background first before transferring the drawing. Using graphite paper, I traced a printout of the reference photo onto the canvas, then sealed the graphite with Liquin to prevent smudging. I blocked in base skin tones, some facial details, and the hair.
For the shirt, I decided to use oil paint thickener on its own to sculpt the folds in low relief, rather than mixing it with paint. This gave the shirt a textured, dimensional surface that felt more engaging. I painted the shirt colors based on the natural split in the garment, using it as a visual divider between the two sides.
Afterward, I added a rough wood texture using thickened paint for the table. I incorporated several references to biblical passages often referred to as the "clobber passages," which are commonly used to condemn queer people, into the background. The exception is Genesis 19, which I treated differently. Since it's the most frequently cited passage, referencing the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, I carved it into the wooden table surface near the hand and placed it upside down to suggest the subject may have etched it himself. I then lightened the carved area with a paler brown paint to mimic the look of raw, unstained wood.
I incorporated several biblical passages often referred to as the "clobber passages," which are commonly used to condemn queer people. These verses represent the kinds of things I felt I had to code switch against. Most are carved or painted into the background, but Genesis 19 appears differently. Since I couldn’t find a place for a fifth verse in the background, I carved it into the wooden table surface using an X-Acto knife, placing it upside down and near the hand, suggesting the subject may have carved it himself. I then lightened the carved area with a paler brown to mimic the look of raw, unstained wood.
Finally, I added a subtle gradient to the background. Darker on the left to emphasize the “dead” side, and a translucent layer of red, orange, and yellow on the right. The gradient naturally flows into the colors of the shirt, green and blue which gives a subtle reference to a rainbow, acting as both a biblical and queer reference.