Arlo Gillespie
they/he
St. Louis, MO, US
Arlo Gillespie is a fourth-year multi-media artist at Webster University set to get their bachelor's in fine arts with an emphasis in sculpture. He is a Queer Mexican American with a severe mental health diagnosis which heavily impacts their body of work. To capture the fringe and underrepresented communities is a main goal in Arlo’s photography. Their work is bodily in nature and explores themes of pessimistic existentialism as well uncanny and otherworldly imagery. Primarily Arlo repurposes and recycles objects when sculpting. He is largely inspired by the transformative process of metal working, mold making, and casting.
“Most of my life was spent being angry that our human existence has no meaning or purpose, something I still believe fundamentally. At this point in my life, I have settled on trying to create my own meaning. To me this looks like learning about individuals’ experiences as well as sharing my experiences through art. This is done in resistance to the unjust way humanity has presented itself to me and other BIPOC Queers.”
How does your work relate to the theme of flourish(ing)?
“The work I chose relates to the theme of flourish(ing) because they show the strength and beauty of queer genitalia in a manner which is upfront in a mundane setting. The piece T-Boy Bolo is meant to be a wearable piece of art fashioned to be a vaginal bolo-tie. The piece Bottom Growthener is a functional vaginal bottle opener. Both are sculpted after the post effects of hormone replacement therapy on AFAB genitalia which may result in an enlargement of the clitoris. This is often referred to as bottom growth, or as I like to call it, my clit dick."
"Bottom Growthener", Iron, 4" x 5" x 1", 2025
“My creative process allows me to flourish due to the help I get from the amazing community I have surrounded myself with and my need to stay environmentally conscious. During my academic career at Webster University, I was introduced to the metal art world as well as so many likeminded individuals who constantly challenge my thinking while working through ideas. Because of my dedication to having as little impact on the environment as possible as an artist, I am pushed to think of unique ways to source materials, growing the strength between me and my community.”
How does your creative practice allow you to flourish (grow, thrive, blossom)?
“T-Boy Bolo”, Iron, steel, leather cord, 17” x 2" x 1”, 2025
As a queer+ artist, what would you like to see and/or what do you need in order to flourish during this time?
“As a BIPOC Queer Artist I would like to see social media take a smaller role in our society allowing for deeper connections to grow in local communities. I need other artists to keep creating with what you have around you in opposition to those who want to keep you silent. Be scrappy. I would like to see my peers be less afraid of the feeling of embarrassment and embrace the idea of cringe. Allow the transformation of your interests and aesthetics to fuel your creative process rather than stifle your ability to experiment.”
Anything else you would like to share about this work? This can be an important part of the process, sourcing materials, or research.
“When sourcing material I strive to create as little waste as possible while repurposing any materials available. In terms of research, I use my own lived experiences along with those of my peers. For the process of these works I did everything from mold making, material sourcing, to the pouring of the iron.”
Photographs Courtesy of the Artist