“SPANNING THE MODERN GAY UNIVERSE”
“SPANNING THE MODERN GAY UNIVERSE”
Thursday March 25, 2010
By MC Intern VICTORIA BEE
It's a tale as old as time and true as it can be...
But long-distance lovers—NYC burlesque babe Julie Atlas Muz and London performance artist Mat Fraser—are giving a new spin to Beauty and the Beast. (Their one-night-only show is at the Abrons Art Center on April 19.)
Brainy bombshell Muz is a former Miss Exotic World. Fraser, "a disability arts celebrity," proudly flaunts his stunted arms—his stage name is Sealboy—and is renown as one of England's best male striptease artists.
Photo by Karl Giant.
Their B & B intriguingly questions who is beautiful and who is beastly!
Monday March 15, 2010
All photos by Linda Simpson
Michael, Shaquanda & Unicorn
Bertha & Badger
Yvon and Pets
Cary and Cock
Lambie and Horsie
Ann & Antlers
Wil & Tiger
Andre & Herd
Gio & Penguin
Bye Bye Bear
| Filed Under: Artists, On The Scene | COMMENTS |
Friday March 5, 2010
Life in Plastic, It's Fantastic!
Joan Rivers is leading a new race, created in the operating room with scalpels and stiches and silicon aplenty!
And now these humanoids are being documented by British-born photog Phillip Toledano. His fab project, "A New Kind of Beauty," explores modern plastic surgery extremes with a Renaissance motif. Talk about a sight for sore eyes!
Jason
Porn princess Allanah Starr
Steve
More portraits at Toledano's Web site.
Thanks to Next Magazine's Nexus' blog for bringing this gem to our attention!
EDITOR'S NOTE: This post was written by MyComrade.com's new intern, Victoria Bee. She'll be writing lots more—we've chained her to the office radiator! (Which she kind of likes!)
| Filed Under: Artists, Trantastic! | COMMENTS |
Friday February 19, 2010
WHAT: Bingo-Ski, a site-specific "art-sport" installation based on the traditional game of Bingo.
WHEN: May 2009 to February 2010, in six different installments.
WHERE: The old-fashion party room of the Ukrainian East Village Restaurant, which frequently serves as a social setting for the local Eastern European community for birthdays, wedding receptions, family reunions, etc.
ARTIST'S STATEMENT
by Linda Simpson
Over the past several years I've unexpectedly become a popular drag-queen Bingo promoter and hostess, calling numbers and giving away prizes at various NYC cabarets and bars. In an effort to expand my career (and my income), I decided to add yet another night to my resumé by renting the gloriously old-fashioned party room of the Ukrainian East Village Restaurant. Of course the night's name needed an Eastern European flair—Bingo-Ski!
My intent was simply to produce a fun and distinctive game night. But a week before Bingo-Ski's debut, I discovered I had by chance plugged into an art movement when The New York Times profiled the growing popularity of "art-sports"—newfangled versions of kickball and other games that were described as "an outgrowth of the contemporary art-world trend toward participatory art." Although Bingo-Ski focused on non-athletic competition—sedentary Bingo games—my concept of blending recreation with the absurd was precisely the same. (I fancy myself a drag-queen artisté.)
Bingo-Ski gaily distinguished itself from other art-sports by embracing a decidely queer and campy sensibility. At Bingo-Ski's helm was a zany cast of drag queens and other colorful performers, including me as the night's hostess. The audience—a sexually diverse and enthusiastic bunch—vied for prizes that were pure kitsch, including fuzzy toy animals, dancing dolls and Hannah Montana throw blankets. (The other Bingo nights that I cohost weekly with performer Murray Hill offer a similar format—They too can be classified as art-sport.)
According to the Times, art-sports highlight "personal interaction and community involvement." In Bingo-Ski's case, each and every player functioned as a supporting actor in an improvisational theater piece that abounded with triumphant victories. In addition to the games, a community of performers provided entertainment, including some who paid ode to the room's cultural roots by incorporating off-the-wall Baltic and Soviet themes into their acts. Bingo's folksy traditions were glorified with "Good Neighbor" games as well as an organist providing a non-stop soundtrack. At the same time, the game's dowdy reputation was sexed up with skin-baring shows and a few X-rated prizes.
Bingo-Ski's fascinating mash-up—freaks running a postmodern game show in an ethnic restaurant—proved to be a fun-filled and delightfully successful experiment in creative collaboration and social play. Each night, the ritual of Bingo was infused with loopy humor and liveliness as winners bounded to the stage to collect their goofy winnings. Applause, cheers, laughter and joyous cries of "Bingo-Ski!" mixed with a wonderful sense of camaraderie and unbridled creative spirit. A fabulous new art-sport was born!
BINGO-SKI's COLLABORATORS
Props and Decor: Steven Hammel
Organist: Paul Leschen
DJs: Horski, Dany Johnson, Michael Magnan and Erin Markey
Performers: Babalicious, Matthew Camp, The Dazzle Dancers, Machine Dazzle, Claire de Loon, Dirty Martini, Duch, Flloyd, Laryssa Husiak, Lauren Howe, Grasina Kira Nerusskaya, The Peoplution Dancers (Lance Cruce, Steven Hammel, Brandon Olson and Chris Tanner), Shaquanda Coca Mulatta, Sultana and Violet Temper
Special Thanks to Adam Baran, Anne Hong, Anthony, Antonius, Chelsea, Colin, Curtsy, Angela DiCarlo, Diego, Sylvia London, Tim McNerney, Ves Pitts, Tabboo!, Thain Torres, Michael Wakefield, and the staff and management of the Ukrainian East Village Restaurant
***************************************************
All photos above from Bingo-Ski's final night by Ves Pitts (From top: Linda Simpson and Claire de Loon; Machine Dazzle; Dirty Martini; Lauren Howe; Sultana; stage antics)
More photos at Linda Simpson's Facebook Page
See also Next Magazine's coverage of Bingo-Ski's final night
Wednesday January 20, 2010
Packing away my favorite Christmas cards...
My talented friend Kabuki illustrated his card (which was also from his boyfriend Chuck).
Love a retro design! From Angela Di Carlo (who plays TV gossip Mitzy Lou on Bitches in the Sky).
Drag queen Agosto Muchado's photo cards are an annual tradition! Love them!
Performer Brandon Olson also chose a self-portrait.
My friend John, who is living in Thailand, sent a New Year's greeting...
And here's an image not used as a card— the Duchess of Razzle Dazzle celebrating in grand style!
Hoiiday Joy!
| Filed Under: Artists, Trantastic! | COMMENTS |
Monday January 18, 2010
Ever since handsome James Franco (willingly) posed with me, he's become one of my favorite celebrities. (Yes, I've run this photo before!)
I love that he manages to juxtapose a mainstream acting career with various avant-garde pursuits.
In New York Magazine, Franco says his future projects include collaborating with art-world darling Kalup Linzy, known for "her" crossdressing soap-opera parodies.
My hands touched him first, Kalup!
| Filed Under: Celebrities, Artists | COMMENTS |
Sunday January 17, 2010
I wish I could have been in L.A. this weekend for the opening of "Boy," an exhibit at Peres Projects featuring the video work of Cody Critcheloe who masterminds the band SSION (pronounced "Shun).
I love his music and visuals and artsy sense of humor!
Copyright © 2010 MyComrade.com