Jercy Dee

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OFACS, 2018-2019 Research and Documentation, 2018-2019 [Fanfiction] Reading Corner, 2019 Related Projects
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Of Fanfiction and Creating Space, 2018-2019

Multi-media • Undergraduate thesis
Completed at OCAD University for the Cross-Disciplinary Studies: Publications Major

Of Fanfiction and Creating Space (OFACS) was my undergrad thesis project at OCADU during the 2018-2019 academic year with a focus on fanfiction/fandom. The project comprised of three components (i.e. creative writing, research, and art installation); this page displays two of them (research and art installation).

Thesis Blog ⇥

Research and Documentation, 2018-2019 

Zine collection • Studio and academic research
Completed at OCAD University

  • Proposal for final deliverables, exhibition/installation plans, and conceptual direction
  • Annotated bibliography
  • Abstract
  • 31-page support document synthesizing all studio and academic research
  • Zine collection presenting all research during exhibition:
    • Primary support document (x2)
    • Secondary support (x15)

This component of my thesis informed my work on my original novella, Unconventional Rules (2019), and was presented in my final installation, [Fanfiction] Reading Corner (2019).

» Primary support document

This support document synthesizes the majority of my studio and academic research for OFACS. It delineates my creation process from throughout the year, which led to producing my novella, Unconventional Rules.

It was presented as two printed zines for final exhibition.

Word Count: 1400+ (preview) / 3400+ (full)
Themes: Fandom and fanfiction, community collaboration, radical queer politics, polyamory
Major Warnings: Discussions of sexuality
Note: Minor discrepancies in format and spelling between this document and the printed publication from 2019 were done to correct mistakes missed before print.

Abstract

The politics surrounding fandom—marketing and consumption, radical understandings of sexuality, positioning and inclusivity, among many more issues—inform the decisions that go into the final product of any transformative work. As a result, the fanfiction genre is often a productive space for representation through its racialization, queering, and disabling of established popular narratives. Within highly collaborative communities, fanfiction traditions allow for unconventional modes of creative writing.

Unconventional Rules is a collection of short stories that are rewritten versions of anime fanfiction made with the support of intersecting fan groups. The accompanying installation, [Fanfiction] Reading Corner, was a reading space that encouraged viewers to sit and read Unconventional Rules and/or any of its supplementary materials.

Preview a digital copy of the OFACS zine (PDF) →

Preview OFACS in plain text (PDF) →

Both printed zines of OFACS. The opening spread of the OFACS zine displaying the zine's information (the abstract).

» Secondary support document

These documents collect general information about fanfiction and fandom. It explains the context and vocabulary of fandom and helps create an understanding of what fanfiction is and can be. The information was meant to supplement my research in the main OFACS document and was mainly produced for exhibition visitors who wanted to know more about the genre and subculture.

This research was split into three zines with multiple copies:

  1. Fan Dictionary (x5)
  2. Fanfiction Original Novels (x5)
  3. Fanfiction Recs to Non-Fandom Readers (x5)

See individual zines for specific word counts, themes, and warnings. The full rec list can be accessed online. The zines are also available for purchase on my Storenvy!

See the full list of fanfiction recs on Google Docs ⇥

Buy a copy of the zines! ⇥

Two copies of all three printed supplementary zines for OFACS. A digital college showing a copy of Fan Dictionary--the front cover on the left, and a spread of the zine's interior on the right. A digital college showing a copy of Fanfiction Original Novels--the front cover on the left, and a spread of the zine's interior on the right. A digital college showing a copy of Fanfiction Recs to Non-Fandom Readers--the front cover on the left, and a spread of the zine's interior on the right.

[Fanfiction] Reading Corner, 2019

Art Installation • Undergrad thesis exhibition
Displayed at Gallery 1313 and OCADU GradEx

  • Curated space encouraging viewer interaction
  • Installation:
    • Coffee table (x1)
    • Seats (chair x1, stool x1)
    • Hanging shelves (x2)
    • All reading materials (see below for more)
    • Other materials (display stands, business cards, etc) and decorative elements (wooden boxes, rug, etc)
  • Materials available for reading:
    • Unconventional Rules (2019) - original novella (x2)
    • Kuroko no Chapbook (2018) - original fiction chapbooks (x16)
    • OFACS (2018-2019) - all documentation zines (x17)

[Fanfiction] Reading Corner was designed to be a “reading corner” encouraging exhibition guests to take a seat and peruse any of the materials presented on the shelves and table. The installation was activated by viewers participating in a fannish practice: reading fanfiction.

This was the accompanying installation to my original fiction novella, Unconventional Rules (2019), and the final component of my undergrad thesis project, Of Fanfiction and Creating Space (2018-2019).

It was exhibited in the following shows:

A wide shot capturing the entire Reading Corner. On the left are hanging shelves displaying chapbooks and zines. On the right is the reading space with a table and seats; the table displays several reading materials. A profile shot of the full installation--hanging shelves in the far back on an exhibition wall, and the reading space against a temporary wall on the right. A full shot of the reading space: a chair on the left, a table in the centre, and a stool on the right. A close-up shot of the reading space, specifically of the contents on the table. From left to right: decorative boxes with one copy of Unconventional Rules standing on top, a printed copy of OFACS primary research documentation standing next to the boxes, and the other copy of Unconventional Rules lying next to it. Also on the table are business cards and a welcome sign for the viewers. A full shot of the hanging shelves--the top shelf displaying fiction chapbooks, and the bottom shelf displaying research zines. A frontal shot of the top shelf displaying my original fiction prototype, Kuroko no Chapbook. A frontal shot of the bottom shelf displaying zines of secondary OFACS research documentation.

Related Projects

» Unconventional Rules, 2019

Short story collection • Fanfiction and self-published novella
Fanfic hosted on Ao3 and Tumblr. Novella printed as a paperback novel. 

  • 15 fanfictions collected into a series
  • 11 original fiction short stories (created from fanfiction) for print launch at GradEx 2014 and digital distribution

The other component of my thesis was the creative writing deliverables: my self-published novella, Unconventional Rules (2019).

See more about Unconventional Rules (2019) →

Writer • Designer • Nerd