Paul and Trisha – The Art of Fluidity is an intimate portrait of two British artists, Paul Whitehead and Trisha Van Cleef, both of whom share the same non-binary, gender-fluid body. The youthful seventy-seven-year-old Whitehead has had a successful and varied career as an artist, graphic designer, writer and musician. They have worked as the Art Director for Time Out Magazine and also designed album covers for Genesis, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Lindisfarne, Mott the Hoople, Fats Domino and Van Der Graaf Generator amongst others. They created the world’s largest mural in Las Vegas. They have lived in Los Angeles since 1973, and currently have a studio in Ventura County. Whitehead’s journey with gender fluidity began in the bedroom with their ex-wife in the 1960s where their wife’s underwear and dresses would be worn, and this, as well as inspiration from Marcel DuChamps’ 1920’s alter ego Rrose Selvay, led to the emergence of Trisha Van Cleef in 2004. Whitehead had tried transitioning with hormones but they had bad side effects. They now don’t think they were born into the wrong body, but rather were overly socially conditioned, so both Paul and Trisha happily co-exist.
Director Fia Perera cleverly lets the charismatic Whitehead run free with the camera without much editing. She combines interviews, graphics, animation, lots of art imagery, and re-enacted scenes from Whitehead and Van Cleef’s pasts to tell a moving life story, all accompanied by a great soundtrack. No subject is off bounds, and the result is a deep dive into the minds of a truly gender-fluid character who lives life on their own terms. That is what is very inspiring about listening to the playful Whitehead and Van Cleef speak. They are a refreshingly independent thinker and don’t take life too seriously. They really don’t care about what anyone else thinks, and live life completely unrestricted by gender norms. This requires a great deal of inner strength and confidence which they seem to have in abundance and which is enhanced by their meditation and spirituality. As Whitehead says, ‘People are very wary of people who don’t fit into boxes, but our purpose in life is to make ourselves comfortable, not other people. Not everyone gets you, wants to get you, or is interested in you.’ Very liberating and inspiring words – a refreshing antidote to our label-obsessed times.’
Queerguru’s Contributing Editor Ris Fatah is a successful fashion/luxury business consultant (when he can be bothered) who divides and wastes his time between London and Ibiza. He is a lover of all things queer, feminist, and human rights in general. @ris.fatah
