Vern Martin-Ivie

About Vern Martin-Ivie / @vpackart

"Vern Martin-Ivie is a collage and digital artist based on Anishinaabe land. They create to connect to their body and inner self, and often use themes of gender, disability, religion, and mental health in their art. Their work has been exhibited in multiple group exhibitions and showcases, and in 2023 they exhibited their collages for the first time individually, in their art show, BODYS. They host collage workshops occasionally, and participate in their arts community regularly, as a board member, a facilitator, a market vendor, and through activism work."

About This Piece

"This collage used the lyrics from the song "Tim I Wish You Were Born A Girl" by the band Of Montreal. The song is most often interpreted from a man's perspective, pining for a friend who is also a man, but internalized homophobia prevents him from realizing he can be in a relationship with his friend. I love this interpretation, but I also love to interpret it as someone projecting their own feelings about their gender onto the subject of their attraction. The singer wishes they were "born a girl" despite already being trans and not knowing it yet."