"I'm ready for my close up..."
INTENTION:
“I’m ready for my close up…” (Sunset Boulevard, 1950)
Drag uses the binary codes of clothing design to flip gender expectations on their head. This project will explore those clothing narratives by creating staple pieces inspired by Old Hollywood stereotypes of men and women, and subvert them by having the clothing modelled by local Montreal Drag performers. I would like to celebrate and humanize drag, and have viewers reflect that while drag may seem larger than life, we are all contributing to these societal constructs of gender. I would like us all to reflect on these toxic contributions, and how to reclaim our own identities.
COSTUME CREATION
I am a regular attendee of underground drag shows that take place at the Diving Bell Social Club. I’m a member of the queer community, but I’m not a drag artist myself. I feel most comfortable expressing myself through the craft and creation of costumes. In this project, I will explore the dimensions of gendered clothing, the roles they illustrate, and the emancipating power they can hold.
The costume elements include two main silhouettes, with costume pieces that can be mixed and matched depending on how the model would like to express themselves.
The first silhouette will be composed of the following items: a luxurious embroidered robe ( Already made but not finished) , a waist cincher, bullet bra, and underwear. Using leather and satin, I will mix both masculine and feminine textiles to create an augmented, otherworldly “woman”.
The second silhouette would be composed of a tuxedo jacket and pants, a tuxedo shirt, vest, bow tie, cummerbund, and boxers. By creating men’s clothes out of feminine materials such as satin and chiffon, I encourage dialogue about both the strength and fragility of men. The design of the jacket is inspired by an adjustable dressmaker's form. Instead of all the jacket pattern pieces being sewn together, they will be finished separately with corsetry rivets following the lines which must attach to other pieces. The mix of corsetry into men's wear will also enable many different size performers to wear the costume, by adjusting the gaps between pattern pieces.
2. EMBROIDERY
I greatly admire Drag performers who advocate for diversity and justice through their art. I would like to interview these performers inquiring about their use of Drag as artistic expression. I would then embroider key words and phrases from these conversations on the garments, integrating sequin stars and beads documenting the performers’ perspectives.
3. PHOTOGRAPHY & SPACE
Once the embroidery stage is finished, the drag artists will be photographed wearing these costumes, adorned with their own words of resistance and pride.
Sonia's (photographer) aim is to produce photographs that are dramatic and cinematic, while in keeping with low-fi aesthetics of Queer photography. The photographs will be in black and white with a gritty texture to them, an imperfect beauty. The use of black and white film and flash speak to old Hollywood films but also to queer photography in the last 50 years.
We will explore and document the queer space of The Diving Bell, to tell the stories of local queer inhabitants.With these photos we aim to capture the energy of the Drag performer and that of the space which supports their art.
4. VERNISSAGE & EXHIBITION
The vernissage will take place August 1st and stay up until the end of Montreal’s Pride festival, August 15th 2024.
The final exhibition will feature six larger scale photos of the drag performers (40x 27 inches on left wall) at the Diving Bell performance space, along with the costumes on mannequins (on stage), and the photos of the creative process (right wall).
“I’m ready for my close up…” (Sunset Boulevard, 1950)
Drag uses the binary codes of clothing design to flip gender expectations on their head. This project will explore those clothing narratives by creating staple pieces inspired by Old Hollywood stereotypes of men and women, and subvert them by having the clothing modelled by local Montreal Drag performers. I would like to celebrate and humanize drag, and have viewers reflect that while drag may seem larger than life, we are all contributing to these societal constructs of gender. I would like us all to reflect on these toxic contributions, and how to reclaim our own identities.
COSTUME CREATION
I am a regular attendee of underground drag shows that take place at the Diving Bell Social Club. I’m a member of the queer community, but I’m not a drag artist myself. I feel most comfortable expressing myself through the craft and creation of costumes. In this project, I will explore the dimensions of gendered clothing, the roles they illustrate, and the emancipating power they can hold.
The costume elements include two main silhouettes, with costume pieces that can be mixed and matched depending on how the model would like to express themselves.
The first silhouette will be composed of the following items: a luxurious embroidered robe ( Already made but not finished) , a waist cincher, bullet bra, and underwear. Using leather and satin, I will mix both masculine and feminine textiles to create an augmented, otherworldly “woman”.
The second silhouette would be composed of a tuxedo jacket and pants, a tuxedo shirt, vest, bow tie, cummerbund, and boxers. By creating men’s clothes out of feminine materials such as satin and chiffon, I encourage dialogue about both the strength and fragility of men. The design of the jacket is inspired by an adjustable dressmaker's form. Instead of all the jacket pattern pieces being sewn together, they will be finished separately with corsetry rivets following the lines which must attach to other pieces. The mix of corsetry into men's wear will also enable many different size performers to wear the costume, by adjusting the gaps between pattern pieces.
2. EMBROIDERY
I greatly admire Drag performers who advocate for diversity and justice through their art. I would like to interview these performers inquiring about their use of Drag as artistic expression. I would then embroider key words and phrases from these conversations on the garments, integrating sequin stars and beads documenting the performers’ perspectives.
3. PHOTOGRAPHY & SPACE
Once the embroidery stage is finished, the drag artists will be photographed wearing these costumes, adorned with their own words of resistance and pride.
Sonia's (photographer) aim is to produce photographs that are dramatic and cinematic, while in keeping with low-fi aesthetics of Queer photography. The photographs will be in black and white with a gritty texture to them, an imperfect beauty. The use of black and white film and flash speak to old Hollywood films but also to queer photography in the last 50 years.
We will explore and document the queer space of The Diving Bell, to tell the stories of local queer inhabitants.With these photos we aim to capture the energy of the Drag performer and that of the space which supports their art.
4. VERNISSAGE & EXHIBITION
The vernissage will take place August 1st and stay up until the end of Montreal’s Pride festival, August 15th 2024.
The final exhibition will feature six larger scale photos of the drag performers (40x 27 inches on left wall) at the Diving Bell performance space, along with the costumes on mannequins (on stage), and the photos of the creative process (right wall).