Exhibition Description
During January and February of 2022, the Gallery at the University of Michigan Institute for the Humanities presented a solo exhibition of my Beautiful By Night photo series and documentary film. Curated by Amanda Krugliak, the show included 70 black and white and color images taken over several years. Some are presented singly as well as in diptychs, triptychs, or larger grids, playing with juxtaposition and referencing the sequentiality of film storyboards. The photos were displayed both full bleed in white frames and as adhesive prints applied directly to the wall. This created a collage-like interplay between the two types, with the framed pieces often obscuring parts of the underlying images and, in these combinations, forging new compositional complexities.
Each protagonist of the series, Collette, Donna, and Olivia, had a dedicated wall, with further images of other cast members included in a large backstage grid and a piece utilizing an acrylic mirror. It had adhesive prints affixed directly to its surface, with space in between the images for the viewer to see themselves. This recalled the long mirrors that line the interior of the club and the mirrors in the performers’ homes.
In front of the large street-facing gallery window, there was a semi-transparent crepe de chine silk panel. It featured an image of Olivia getting ready at home, bringing a solitary domestic ritual into a public space. The daylight created a natural light box effect, but the image appeared solid at night. The other street-facing window had a custom neon sign of the show title. In an adjacent screening room, there were three silks hung from clips on the wall. Printing the images on silk endowed them with an ephemeral and delicate quality, enhancing the intimacy of the images. The looped film played continuously on a projection screen.
Throughout, the work explored drag’s preparatory repetitiveness and the performer’s relentless self-reflection, inviting viewers to share in these private rituals and spaces, and to trouble the line between curiosity and voyeurism. The exhibition period included class visits in a variety of humanities subjects, as well as public programming including artist talks, screenings, and live drag performances from the protagonists.
Click to launch photo gallery.