Writing → (Wet)lands
MA Thesis
MA Landscape Architecture, UCL Bartlett School of Architecture
This thesis explores the intersection of queer theory and landscape architecture, particularly focusing on how queerness can shape and be reflected in landscapes. While previous studies have examined how queer bodies navigate spaces, little research has investigated how queerness actively informs landscape construction. Drawing on queer ecology, ecofeminism, and queer geographies, the study challenges traditional spatial boundaries and conceptualizations of nature, using wetlands as a case study. Wetlands, with their liminality, fluidity, and lack of defined edges, serve as metaphors for queer identities, offering a non-normative perspective on space and embodiment.
Through an analysis of Grant Chemidlin’s poem What We Lost in the Swamp and the 1989 film The Return of the Swamp Thing, this thesis examines the representation of wetlands as queer spaces. Both works highlight themes of secrecy, desire, and transformation, with slime—a key element in wetlands—symbolizing the rejection of rigid identity boundaries and embracing continuous fluidity. The wetland’s ambiguous materiality mirrors the queer experience of navigating non-normative, ever-evolving identities.
The thesis proposes that queer methodologies, such as Halberstam’s scavenger method, are crucial for exploring these intersections, as they prioritize marginalized voices and challenge disciplinary coherence. By applying queer theoretical frameworks to landscapes, this research not only deepens our understanding of queer spatial experiences but also opens new possibilities for interdisciplinary studies, pushing beyond conventional landscape theory to create more inclusive approaches to space and identity.