Browsing Tag

queer art

PhotoMania: The Barbara Levine and Paige Ramey Photography Collection is a Glimpse into our Shared Queer History

A photo of one of the works in the Barbara Levine and Paige Ramey Photography Collection.

While fine art museums have long slept on vernacular, or “found,” photography, Houston and San Miguel de Allende–based artists and collectors Barbara Levine and Paige Ramey have not. The couple has spent over 30 years sifting through junk shops, flea markets, and online stores to build a vernacular photography collection they lovingly call “PhotoMania.” The collection comprises over 5,000 photographic objects—from postcards, to family portraits, to photographic sculpture and altered photographs. “Barb and I, when we travel, anywhere we go…

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The Bayou City Be All: Reflections on DiverseWorks’ Night of Performance Beyond the Binary

A photo of the Bayou City Be All.

On October 20, DiverseWorks gave us, the city’s queer community, a generous gift—the “Bayou City Be All: A Night of Performance, Fashion, and Music Beyond the Gender Binary.” The two-part event, promoted as a community-driven project, commemorated the vibrant and unapologetic art, culture, and tunes stewarded and crafted by our own gender non-conforming, genderqueer, and non-binary makers.…

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Remembering Félix González-Torres: Queer Latinx Art and the Caribbean-American ‘South’

A photo of Félix González-Torres.

Forty years ago, Félix González-Torres arrived in New York City from Puerto Rico, marking the beginning of his emergence as one of the most influential conceptual artists of his generation. During a brilliant career cut tragically short by his death from AIDS, the openly gay, Cuban-born, Latino-American artist produced a wide range of works that challenged spectators to participate in the creative experience and to formulate their own meanings. Through photography, billboards, and installations comprised of everyday objects, he evoked…

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The Houston Queer (Art) Agenda

A photo of queer art.

Well, here’s my gay agenda—surprise, it’s art-based. I’m here to disrupt your mundane arts and culture happenings to bring you the latest leading queer-lensed creative endeavors. Warning—there’s nothing subtle about the queerness of these events. It’s just not in our nature.…

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Through The Lens: The Power of Queer Photography

A photo of queer photography Anthony Flores.

During my time as a writer for Spectrum South, I’ve established a brand with my work: holistic and inclusive profiles of some of the South’s most prolific and boundary-pushing queer artists. I’ve detailed the avant-garde performances of Experimental Action, revealed five queer southern artists you should know, and journeyed through the transformative work of gender-nonconforming artist Cassils, among others. But I want to push myself further—to try something new and outside of my standard. My intention with the piece you’re…

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Acts of Rebellion: Experimental Action Centers Queer Performance Artists

A photo of Antonius Bui at Experimental Action.

If you truly know Houston, you know there’s no denying our ranking as a national contender in the competitive visual arts dominion. The city is continuously abuzz with new and up-and-coming gallery openings, exhibitions, and alternative art collectives. What often gets left out of the picture, however, is the avant-garde, activist-inspired, trailblazing, and authentic performance art scene. This repertoire is the city’s best-kept secret—one that deserves to be exposed and given some long-overdue recognition. At the heart of this scene is…

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Figures in the Shadows: Finding Queer Representation in Film Noir with Artist Jade Yumang

A photo of queer artist Jade Yumang.

Jade Yumang grew up as free a spirit as they come. Bouncing around his mother’s beauty salon in the Philippines while his father worked overseas, Yumang was allowed to be as openly himself as he wanted. The majority of his mother’s friends and salon coworkers were queer and, for a young boy and budding artist discovering himself, this environment was more than favorable for his personal growth.…

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Queer Dance Theory: On Smashing the Heteropatriarchy, Creating Body- and Sex-Positive Dances, and What it Means to be a Queer Artist

A photo of queer dance theory.

I recently attended a Choreographers' Forum at Houston's 2018 Dance Salad Festival. The panel consisted of two gay male choreographers and one straight female choreographer. During the question and answer portion of the evening, I stood up and asked the artists if they had choreographed any work that explored queer experience and romantic relationships. Given how common love duets are in dance, I expected at least one or both of the gay choreographers to name queer-themed works they had created.…

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