glitching

THE STRUGGLE (TO HEAL) IS REAL

Carson Lynn’s earliest machinima, Oddball (2019), introduced the foundational themes and stylistic elements that echo throughout his subsequent works, including A bronze anvil falls to the earth., Reversal Ring, and Storm and Stress. In these projects, Lynn explores the complex interplay between digital spaces and queer identity, employing video games as medium, message, and messenger. A set of recurring themes – the representation of bodies, the exploration of virtual spaces as sites of friction and refuge, the use of mechanics as analogies for non binary experiences, glitching as queering – permeate his creations. In this final installment about Lynn’s machinima production, we’ll focus on his inaugural work, Oddball.

Oddball is a poignant meditation on virtual embodiment and queer resilience within the battlegrounds of Halo 2. Thanks to the modification Project Cartographer, Lynn captures the raw intensity of in-game interactions and the futuristic landscapes of Microsoft Studios’s popular first-person shooter. By weaving together footage from the game with real conversations appropriated from player exchanges on YouTube between 2006 and 2010, Lynn crafts a context that moves beyond hyper-masculine competition – the expected/prescribed gaming experience – exploring themes of vulnerability, violence, and the search for safe spaces within fictional domains.

As the artist explains in the artwork’s accompaying text, Oddball draws inspiration from Aevee Bee’s 2015 personal essay, “I love my untouchable virtual body,” which tackled the concept of invulnerability within Bloodborne as a coveted but unattainable shield against real-world pain and trauma. Unlike Bloodborne’s fleeting moments of invincibility, Halo 2’s gameplay mechanics, where characters are unavoidably subjected to damage, decline and degradation, serve as a metaphor for the exposure and assault of the queer self in spaces rife with homophobia and aggression…

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Matteo Bittanti

Works cited

Carson Lynn

A bronze anvil falls to the earth., digital video, color, sound, 6’ 35”, 2023

Reversal Ring, digital video, b&w, sound, 3’, 2022

Storm and Stress, digital video, color, sound, 3’ 45”, 2020

Oddball, digital video, color, 3’ 27”, 2019

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CARSON LYNN: GLITCHING IS QUEERING

Central to Carson Lynn’s oeuvre is the exploration of queerness, not just as an identity but as a lens through which to challenge and reinterpret the world. This theme is evident in the way he employs digital media to question and disrupt normative narratives and binary understandings of identity, suggesting a fluidity and multiplicity that is intrinsic to the queer experience. This theme is manifest in Storm and Stress (2020).

In the summer of 2020, Lynn unveiled Storm and Stress, a distinctive project commissioned for Silicon Valet’s Lot Residency #07. This innovative exhibition, hosted on the digital platform's Instagram page over the course of August 1st and 2nd, marked a creative exploration into the digital and virtual realms. Lynn’s work, segmented into nine distinct parts, cleverly utilized the Instagram grid to present a cohesive yet multifaceted visual narrative. Each of the nine sections not only stood alone as a piece of art but also housed a unique short machinima clip, further enriching the viewer’s experience with dynamic, moving images that delved deep into the concept of queerness in digital spaces.

Central to Storm and Stress was the exploration of the concept of “queering as glitching” and “glitching as queering.” This innovative approach posits the act of glitching, often seen as errors or flaws within digital systems, as a form of queering, challenging normative structures and expectations within digital environments. Lynn’s project provocatively suggests that, much like the queer experience disrupts societal norms and expectations, glitches disrupt the smooth, expected functioning of digital systems. This parallel draws attention to…

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Matteo Bittanti


Works cited

Carson Lynn, Storm and Stress, video, color, sound, 3’ 45”, 2020

This content is exclusive to Patreon subscribers. To gain full access, consider joining our vibrant community.