Friday 01.13.17
‘Postcards From the Edge,’ A benefit by Visual AIDS
From a young age we learn how much the flow of goods and capital can be livened up with a little mystery. (Think: Happy Meals, holiday grab bags, whether or not your debit card is going to get denied at your bodega on Sunday morning). Surprises rock! It’s an obvious, objective truism. You get excited, you beg for clues, you scramble to guess. The excitement is hard to contain.
And Visual AIDS — a contemporary art organization we’ve definitely told y’all about before — understands this excitement. Specifically, they do with the upcoming 19th annual ‘Postcards From the Edge’ benefit, scheduled for this weekend. This event provides “an opportunity for the public to purchase original pieces of postcard-sized artwork by both established and emerging artists for only $85 each.” And not without some mysterious fun; the individual cards are displayed, sans the artist’s names, the identity of whom you find out post-purchase! This is your chance to take home original pieces by favorites like William Wegman, John Arsenault, Loraine O’Grady, Benjamin Fredrickson, Marilyn Minter, Kerry James Marshall, and many more.
Image courtesy of the artist Benjamin Fredrickson
The actual benefit sale will occur all day January 14th and 15th, preceded by a Preview Party on Friday the 13th from 5:00PM-8:00PM where you’ll have the chance to win first dibs on your favorite pieces. VIP passes and a silent auction are also in store at the event, so head to the host gallery Metro Pictures for some awesome surprises that benefit an even more awesome cause. …
Thursday 01.12.17
Event: ARTIST DIALOGUE WITH CATALINA SCHLIEBENER, JOHN CHAICH AND KRIS GREY
I just read lots of information about this event, so let me do the best to simplify it. There’s an exhibition on view at The Bureau of General Services — Queer Division titled ‘Growing Sideways’ by the Buenos Aires-based, Chilean artist Catalina Schliebener, that was organized by curator John Chaic. Growing Sideways is a site-specific “floor-to-ceiling installation, growing across two and three dimensional surfaces and creating a disjointed narrative exploring gender formation and erotic curiosity…” This event is a conversation between Catalina Schliebener, John Chaich and the artist and educator Kris Grey. They will be “drawing insights” from the recent exhibition ‘Cut Ups: Queer Collage Practices,’ that took place at the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art last year. ‘Cut Ups: Queer Collage Practices’ brought together an “intergenerational” group of about 15, “queer and feminist artists who each explore collage with diverse, erotically inclined tactics. The works in this show draw from print culture and pornography, dating from the era of gay and women’s liberation to the present.” That was helpful right? You are welcome homo. Yeah no problem, thank you for reading. Also, if you are broke you can donate whatever you have, they are nice people, they will let you in no matter what you can afford.
Artwork by Catalina SchliebenerArtwork by Catalina Schliebener
Wednesday 01.11.17
Film: 20TH CENTURY WOMEN
I adored this film. Directed by Mike Mills, (who I just discovered has a baby with Miranda July) 20th Century Women is set in the late '70s in San Diego, California. The main character, played by Annette Bening, is a single mother to a young teen boy played by Lucas Jade Zumann. Trying to raise him right, the intellectually curious mom enlists a free-spirited young woman played by Greta Gerwig, who rents a room in their house, and has recently recovered from cervical cancer, plus one of the boys childhood friends, played by Elle Fanning, to help her raise the teen. Billy Crudup plays another tenant in the house who seems to pay rent by helping renovate the dilapidated old mansion. 20th Century Women is funny, thought-provoking, and my only wish after leaving the theater was that I could go back in and spend more time with these characters. It’s the kind of film that would make a great TV series, especially in today’s world, where showrunners are given maximum freedom to bring their creative visions to life. During last Sunday’s Golden Globes I was hoping that Annette would win the award for best actress in a comedy or musical. Unfortunately she didn’t come away with a Globe, but don’t be too upset. As I’m sure her character might say about awards, they are nothing more than a scam invented by the bourgeois to reaffirm the notion that their tastes are superior to everyone else’s. Resist! And go see this film.
Sunday 01.08.17
TV: Search Party
I started watching Search Party at midnight on one of my first nights back home for the holidays. As the first episode ended I totally had that fuck, I need to binge the whole thing right now feeling, but I have a large degree of self-governing, so I went to bed, woke up the following day and continued about my viewing. Search Party follows Dory (Alia Shawkat) as she tries to find the missing Chantal Witherbottom who lived in the same college dormitory as her. They were never friends, which makes Dory’s intent fuzzy, but Dory is persistent enough to involve her boyfriend and two pseudo-bffs Elliot (whoever casted John Early for this role, thank you) and Portia in the search. Whether they’re gabbing at Greenpoint’s trendy cocktail bar, Ramona, or trying to successfully host a dinner party with malicious intent, Search Party’s cast stays true to some sort of millennial form. Tweets and texts pop up on screen to provide the character’s own interiority; everyone is lying or fumbling their way through jobs. I basically told you nothing about the plot because I can’t. I don’t want to say too much, but I rewatched the finale just so I could laugh, ponder and dissect everything this show does right one more time.
Saturday 01.07.17
Event: Tell Schumer + the Dems: TOTAL Obstruction on the Trump Agenda
There’s this saying I heard during election season: “never wrestle a pig because you’ll just get dirty and the pig will enjoy it.” It’s another way of saying that if you give some people an inch they’ll take a mile. This is what will happen if the Democrats give the Republicans anything! They will take everything. They must not be accommodated. They made their bed when they decided that they would oppose Obama at every turn and even obstruct his Supreme Court nomination, and now they have to lie in it. You don’t negotiate with bullies. “If you’re worried that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is going to lead Democrats to cut soul-selling deals with Trump and his right-wing Republicans, then join us on Sat Jan 7 at 1pm in front of Schumer’s apartment building at 9 Prospect Park West to send a MASSIVE MESSAGE: DON’T ACCOMMODATE... #NotOneInch!!! TRUMP AND HIS HATE-BAITING RIGHT WING DON’T DESERVE ONE CRUMB OF SUCCESS!” Can I get an amen to that!
Guided tour of Kerry James Marshall’s “Mastry” by BOFFO
All efforts to describe what it’s like to move through Kerry James Marshall’s retrospective are more or less futile; suffice, words won’t do. If you haven’t yet visited Marshall’s “Mastry”– titled so aptly its many meanings will reach you in subtle and profound ways – then I hope the rock you’ve been living under has heat (…along with food, drink, and other necessary resources). And if it doesn’t you might as well head uptown to stay warm and hydrated at The Met Breuer, where you can see almost 80 of Marshall’s original paintings, the scope of which makes “Mastry,” Marshall’s largest exhibition to date. Also, adjacent to the work by Marshall that constitutes the bulk of “Mastry” is a large room filled with works curated by Marshall himself. This is meant to express the many influences in style and era that inform Marshall’s oeuvre, something I’ve now decided any good retrospective should have.
“Mastry” is many things: expansive, confronting, stunning. It is a timeless ode painted in joy and sorrow by one to many more, a love letter that yearns to “reassert the place of the black figure within the canon of Western painting.” And Marshall does it so successfully; the imperial, white supremacist enamel of said canon simply cannot bear the enormous weight of “Mastry.” Aaand if you’re still reading and not on your way there now — or closed your laptop because this is the 400th writeup you’ve read about Marshall’s retrospective — we have great news: You don’t have to bask in the beautiful blackness of “Mastry” on your own! …
Friday 01.06.17
Event: One Step Beyond with Kenny Dope and Eli Escobar
I love the American Museum of Natural History, and I love that they open up the place for dance parties like this. If you’ve never partied at a museum, then you really gotta add it to your to do list. It’s a super grand, super cunty way to spend an evening. Museum’s just get so much better with booze and music. “During this monthly party, enjoy drinks and dancing in the Museum’s Rose Center for Earth and Space. Guests can also take a walk up the Cosmic Pathway to the Hayden Big Bang Theater where acclaimed actor Liam Neeson narrates a dynamic flight through the virtual universe based on an accurate cosmic atlas. Beer and wine will be served at a cash bar. Advance purchase of tickets is recommended to guarantee entry.” Music for the night is by Kenny Dope and Eli Escobar. Get your tix quick as this is a popular event!
Rick Day on his latest book: Bel Ami (NSFW)
How has fashion influenced your photography style? How does photographing nude models change that approach? As a self-taught photographer… I guess that fashion has sharpened my outlook on many aspects of photography… If definitely taught me to me more conscious of my lighting, along with paying attention to detail in both landscape and content.
What do you enjoy most about the male body? Body hair and hair patterns. I love the lines of a man’s body.
How did you approach incorporating the already established Bel Ami brand and aesthetic into these photos? Did you conscientiously want to elevate their known look or take things in a new direction? What is the difference, if any, between pornographic photos and the ones featured in the book? What influence does pornography have on your work in general? I think more than incorporating the Bel Ami brand into these photos I was interested in incorporating my aesthetic into the Bel Ami brand. Also, I wanted to make the Bel Ami boys a bit more masculine, at least in regards to my own idea of masculinity. There are many, many photographers that have shot these boys… And I think we each want to capture them in our own unique style. …
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Thursday 01.05.17
Show: The Boulet Brothers’ DRAGULA
In case you are not caught up with 2017 — we now live in a wonderfully scary world where there’s more than one drag competition! For those of you that are slow, let me give you a new tip, you gotta watch this drag show by The Boulet Brothers where they are searching for the “World’s First Drag Supermonster.” The Boulet Brothers (Dracmorda and Swanthula Boulet) are well known in the drag scene in Los Angeles and I am sure many of you around the world might know these scary cunts. They always look frightening and amazing at the same time — good wigs, good makeup, their looks are on point, trust. They describe themselves on their Instagram as “Drag Terrorists, Queer Provocateurs, Nightlife hosts & performers...” I am not gonna give anything away about the show, because I don’t want to ruin it for you — I feel like anything I tell you will ruin the surprise — it’s one of those shows that you gotta see for yourself. All episodes are on Youtube (via the Hey Qween channel). It’s nothing like Rupaul’s Drag Race, Dragula is budget, but it works, the only thing they need to improve is the sound. There’s some interesting talent in the cast, their challenges are absolutely nuts... I can’t tell you anymore about the challenges because I don’t want to ruin your experience. And I definitely can’t say anything about the exterminations (that’s what they called their eliminations). You are gonna gag and probably scream a few times when you see the first one...
Wednesday 01.04.17
Welcome to The Savage Ranch
A queer refuge and artist commune, created by Love Bailey
“I consider family to be my chosen family and like to nurture creative energy around me,” Love Bailey tells us while meditating on her Savage Ranch, a recently conceived queer commune just south of Los Angeles. But The Savage Ranch, and its queer artist community-building, isn’t Bailey’s first, or only, exploit: if you haven’t yet heard this name, you’ve been missing out on a fire performer, designer, and artist in her own right. (Pro-tip: Girl’s got an Instagram to keep your thumbs sore).
Bailey got her start as a dancer at a startlingly young age, and moved onto develop an artist persona through working in fashion and music that cannot be confined into any singular discipline. An elusive “Scarlet woman of the wild west,” Bailey caught our attention a while ago, but this new project of hers is just too damn.. stimulating for us to not prod a bit more…seriously: watch The Savage Ranch promo here — we bet you’ll be peeping flights to LAX shortly after.
And check out our exclusive interview with Love Bailey where she shares some her own words of wisdom on The Savage Ranch and other things queer.
The Savage Ranch and its aims feel so pertinent — especially right now. Could you start us off with some uplifting words for any readers to whom finding a queer community like yours might feel distant, even impossible? The Savage Ranch is an intentional creative community located in the Southern California Desert. …
Friday 12.30.16
GAYLETTER’s NYE ROUND-UP
Here's what you can and should do on the last night of of the year
Hello, Hello, Hello,
Welcome to GAYLETTER’s NYE round-up. Here you’ll find a list of all the best parties you can attend this Saturday night. We will probably be at least a couple of them, so if you see us, feel free to stop by and say hello. A kiss would also be nice. And if you’re feeling extra friendly a quick handy would also be a wonderful way to welcome in the New Year.
See you in 2017!
FRIDAY 30
PARTY: Love Is the Message Benefit
NYE is my favorite holidays because it’s based on nothing religious and everything revolves around alcohol. Not really sure what else to say. So, yeah, if you’re like me, you’re trying to get this weekend started on the right foot. Eli Escobar is a sweetheart and rounded up some fabulous DJs to put on an amazing evening at Good Room that will graciously say goodbye to 2016 “by sharing some love on the dancefloor. Twelve NYC DJs are donating their time for the ‘Love is the Message Benefit’ with all proceeds going to the Trevor Project and the International Refugee Assistance Project.” Some of my favorite NY DJs will be spinning (Amber Valentine, JD Samson). After a really wonky year, this is the really your best way to put a start to the end.
$20, 10:00pm, Good Room, 98 Meserole Ave. Brooklyn, NY.
SATURDAY 31
PARTY: Glitter Fest
This is about the gayest of gay events you could attend this NYE. …
Thursday 12.29.16
Matt Lambert x Grindr: Home
Photographer Matt Lambert's upcoming book
With everyone and their dads releasing original content, we’re glad to know the folks at Grindr are starting to do the same. While other platforms have surely dabbled in productions related to gay life and culture, Grindr is guaranteed to bring audiences material created by queers, about queers, for queers. And soon: their first book will launch.
Thankfully it’s by L.A.-boy-gone-Berlin Matt Lambert, a photographer whose art we’ve admired for some time now. Simply called Home, Lambert’s work is concerned with space and its meanings, both physical and virtual. As we know queers’ conceptions of both these things — home and space — can often be fraught, malleable, and life-affirming, Home features photographs and interviews that are both intimate and poignant, warm yet also chilling. With a foreword penned by critically acclaimed queer filmmaker Bruce LaBruce, Lambert’s Home portrays generational and cultural shifts from the bars and bathhouses of the ‘70s to the virtual cruising grounds of the now.
These are spaces that gays begin interacting with in adolescence and onward, so Lambert’s decision to cast through apps like Grindr and Instagram is quite apt. This choice lead him to a group of beautiful boys, and this publication presents them as finding pleasure and intimacy in fucking, along with comfort and kinship in explaining the nuances of cruising and understanding one’s sexuality in our digital moment. With a Nan Goldin feel, infused with aesthetics that are particularly contemporary, Lambert’s photos express distance and proximity, love and something else. …
