Circus Birth

Rachel Britton (she/they) is a queer, digital artist based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States. Born with an identical twin and fraternal triplet, Britton mimics their relationship to multiplicity by compositing images: they articulate bodies together as an homage to sharing the womb while performing the artistic expression that sets them apart from their siblings. Switching places with their identical twin as a child was the catalyst to their fascination with disguises, characters, and fluctuating identities, and continues into multiple avenues of creative queer expression: Britton’s identical twin is a drag artist and taught Britton how to sew costumes and do their makeup. Britton explores the characters they create through self-portraits and experimental short films but also dabbles with baking, trombone, and collage.

Britton’s photographic composite series, “Dysmorphia” and “Infliction” (self-portraits), were born out of experiencing familial narcissism and trauma in childhood. Since they were young, compulsive hair-pulling (trichotillomania), body dysmorphia, binge-eating disorder, and anxiety have bounced in and out of Britton’s life: it’s the compulsion to perform obsessive behaviors; dissociation when they occur; and what triggers those behaviors that Britton is drawn to sharing in their work. Britton utilizes digital compositing techniques with psychedelic colors to engulf the viewer: by articulating pieces of individual images, Britton conjoins subjects and exercises control over thoughts and behaviors that they often feel helpless against.

Rachel Britton graduated with a Bachelor of Science in photography from Grand Valley State University, a liberal arts school based in West Michigan, United States. Britton has been featured in Billboard, Broccoli, Gaygenda, and Paraphilia Magazine as well as Dark Art Society Podcast and Queer|Art|Pride Book and Print Fair. Britton had a solo show, “Voyeur,” at Leather Archives and Museum in Chicago, Illinois and their erotic clown film, “Circus Birth,” toured across the United States in Dan Savage’s HUMP! Film Festival in 2022.