Raynor Pavloff '24

About Raynor Pavloff '24

Raynor Pavloff '24 is an artist who works at the Children’s Museum and Theatre of Maine. He was born in New York City and grew up in Connecticut. Pavloff’s art is heavily influenced by spiritual experiences as well as being a transgender man. Performing in musical groups has led to his dedication to performance. He has performed with activist and performance artist Viva Ruiz, founder of Thank God For Abortion. Pavloff is dedicated to art that conveys the human experience and employs viewers' compassion, and connection. He believes in utilizing recycled materials and upcycling discarded materials so as to not feed into wasteful creation.

Interview

What year did you graduate from the College, and what did you study?

I graduated in May 2024, so pretty recently. I earned my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Textile & Fashion Design and did a lot of performance work while I was here.

What artistic media do you primarily work with, and what drew you to them? Do you feel they lend themselves to exploring queer narratives?

I've always appreciated sound and movement, and when I came here and learned about textiles, I was like, they're all connected.

I've always loved expressing myself through clothing, as everyone does on a daily basis. But in terms of being queer, that was part of how I realized I was more masculine—through the clothing that I was choosing, and even though society would say, "Oh, you're wearing that so that you're masculine," it was about how the clothes made me feel. And there were types of clothes that I really liked, but I never saw anything like them in stores.

And so, I wanted to make those kinds of clothes, and I would cut things up and sew them together. But once I came here and learned the skills to pattern draft and make things from scratch, it helped me look deeper into where that inspiration was coming from—in terms of silhouette, pattern, and color. I would ask myself, "Why does this make me feel more masculine?" Then, I would translate that into clothing. Fashion is an excellent way to connect to queerness. And then, tying in performance was another way to tell the story. Any person can wear the same clothes as someone else, but there's a unique way you express yourself when you're wearing them that tells your story and connects you with others.

What is your artistic process?

Things are always changing. It's hard for me to have an idea about something and then take a long time to carry it out exactly the way that I want. For me, it's all in my head. I see things in the moment and trust that they will all connect.

It's connected to performance in the sense that I'm very inspired by improvisation and how it channels the unconscious mind into what I'm doing. Sometimes, I'll do something and say, "This is not good; this is different from what I thought I wanted." Sometimes, something is too planned, and I have to correct the course. It's a process of trying to balance that chaos.

That's one reason I like to hoard all of my scraps and even take scraps from other people. Patching things together creates a sense of community because I take what someone discarded and create a new story with it.

What are some of the biggest influences on your work? How does your community impact your artistic voice and vision?

Music has always been my strongest passion, and I think that's because I have synesthesia. I see sound as colors and patterns. My world is so colorful, so I take inspiration from those colors, patterns, and textures.

I also take inspiration from showing queer joy, creating a joyous disruption. I feel like queer people tend to stand out in heteronormative spaces, and I enjoy the explosion of joy and authenticity.

How has your experience with the College impacted the way you relate to your identity?

Coming here, I had no idea that I would ever question my gender identity. It seemed set for me. And then, being in this environment where there are so many queer and trans people using art to express themselves further, explore their identities, and research the history of those identities and communities, taught me so much.

The College also gave me the space to explore those same things and connect with other people about their experiences. It was like therapy, translating my experiences into my art. I made a lot of pieces along the way that marked different revelations of my queer journey—which is ongoing. I underwent many changes while I was here: I changed my name, and came out as a trans man, and I gained a lot of confidence from people who looked like me and were doing things that inspired me.

Do you see your work as a method of resistance? If so, how does that resistance manifest itself in your work?

Often in my work, I resist terrible things, but through love and joy. You know what I mean? I don't resist through methods of destruction or with heavy metal and spikes. I prefer killing with kindness and love.

What are the most fulfilling or gratifying aspects of the creative process for you?

One thing I love is making people feel connected to the experience of viewing my work. I love it when they want to understand it or want to wear it. I like bringing people together and using clothes as a way to feel and celebrate euphoria. Then there's the performance aspect of coming together and creating sounds, moving our bodies in ways that my garments emphasize. It's pretty exciting.

The Fashion Show was one of the most gratifying parts of my experience at Maine College of Art & Design. Seeing my collection on display last year and seeing other people modeling the stuff that I made was incredibly inspiring. And this year, I got to be in on the fun. I got to wear and perform in garments I designed and created. Performing, I guess, is the best part; it is release.