I recently started a series of realistic true-to-size oil paintings of Poppers bottles. Below are the results! The impetus for this series was the desire to challenge myself to create tiny, photo-realistic still-life paintings while also continuing to render objects and ephemera that are in constant orbit in my life. Painting those iconic little poppers bottles was an obvious choice. I like to use poppers on occasion for sex, and they’re so ubiquitous in queer culture as to become considered totems of gay sex, or at least a must-have accessory for the sexually active gay man. I’m also drawn to the fact that these cute little bottles viewed by themselves can trigger memories of sexual experiences or simply be evocative of the sexual energy and pleasure they’ve come to symbolize. Each painting is made on a postcard sized 4 x6 inch gesso-ed Birch panel.
brian kenny
SOUP: a group exhibition in NYC; curated by Gio Black Peter.
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The Lovers (2019) acrylic om tarpulin. 10 x 10’
I couldn’t think of a better name for a group show. Disparate ingredients coming together to create a delicious experience of taste and nourishment.. And perhaps a distant memory of that exuberant night of our chef when everyone pooled their drugs and called it ‘soup!’ Regardless, This soup, no less delicious or hearty, served up some chunky local,, authentic, organic artwork, from kitchen to table. Below are some installation views and an essay from the exhibition website
Text by Madeline Bohm.
Walking into the gallery space at 50 Taafee one is struck by a sense of exuberant joy. SOUP is a blatant celebration of difference, a group show combining the work of individuals whose experiences of gender, sexuality, race and class vary so wildly that the end result is a dazzling array of perspectives.
Curated by artists Gio Black Peter and Alex Schmitz, SOUP features artists whose work taps into the same electrifying energy seen in the downtown New York of Kieth Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Kiki Smith, and David Wojnarowicz. It is no coincidence the title for the exhibition was inspired by Peter's personal experience in a Berlin night club. Soup is slang for a concoction consisting of anonymous crushed powders which are taken together as a whole. A good soup is more than the sum of its individual parts and the same is true about SOUP the exhibition. What binds the work of these artists together is less a sense of stylistic continuity and more a sense of political necessity: the same force that drives all marginalized members of society to congeal into communities.
The pulsing sense of life which shines through the works on display is a reminder that creative acts and aesthetic experiences can happen anywhere and at any time. Indeed the ten artists whose work is on display in a former machine shop located in Brooklyn might be seen as the latest incarnation of the tradition of the independent and communal DIY spirit that has long leant a vital and fresh perspective to the creation of works of art, from the Salon de Refuses of 1863 Paris to the more recent avant-garde art scene of 1980s NY. The communal spirit underlying the creation of SOUP, and the democratization of the aesthetic experience which it implies, lends a certain immediacy to the act of viewing. The ephemeral nature of the installation forces the viewer to consider the nature of creation.
As the viewer's gaze wanders from an oversized print of erotic figures superimposed over a graph charting the rise and fall of the stock market, pauses to rest on a pair of minimalist sculptures crafted from bottles of medications used to treat and prevent the spread of HIV infection, and then falls on the oversized representation of organs of sense crafted out of fabric, it is impossible not to recognize that one is receiving a uniquely privileged moment of access to view such a wide array of work which speaks to each of the artist's individual lived experiences. Indeed, much of the work speaks directly not just to the lived experiences of the artists as artists, but their individual lives and unique experiences as members of groups typically not represented within the artistic canon.
If one pauses to think that the moments at which a photograph was snapped or a stroke of paint brushed onto canvas are now gone forever—except for their representation in these works of art—it acts further to remind the viewer that these are not works installed in hallowed museum halls, but creations produced by the artists in a particular moment in history. The communal and temporary nature of SOUP highlights this sense of impermanence, while celebrating the inexhaustible act of creation.
Pay It No Mind: A Transgender mural honoring Marsha P Johnson and Sylvia Rivera on the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots.
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Recently in May, I completed my first permanent public artwork in the form of a 2,100 square foot mural I designed and painted in Dallas Texas honoring Transgender pioneers and women of color Marsha P Johnson and Sylvia Rivera; both present at the Stonewall Riots and key figures in the Queer Liberation Movement. It is currently the country’s largest Transgender-themed mural and I couldn’t be more honored to have been selected and supported by Dallas based LGBTQ arts initiative Arttitude, the Dallas Council of Cultural Affairs, Impulse Dallas, and the Cedar Springs Merchant Association to create this mural on the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, honoring these two queer heroes and in raising the visibility of our trans sisters and brothers through art. The mural’s design was developed in collaboration with the aforementioned associations as well as the transgender community members direct input, and is located in a parking lot on the side of a building along Cedar Springs Blvd in the Oak Lawn Neighborhood, home to Dallas densest cluster of Gay-owned and operated businesses. The mural features two prominent portraits of Marsha and Sylvia, both situated closer to the street for maximum visibility and includes a quote by each of them. I painted Marsha with flowers in her hair as she was often seen wearing them in photos, and because they represent symbols of enlightenment. Next to her is her famous quote “Pay It No Mind” and so I had her looking up toward the heavens with a smile on her face to express this notion that she was above the hate directed toward queer and trans people. Next to her I painted Sylvia, staring directly at the viewer, challenging and defiant; she was known for her courage; unafraid to throw bricks, march through the streets or grab the microphone and call passionately for the rights of all queer people. Next to her is a famous quote in which she describes the experience of being at the Stonewall riots. To the left of the quote is a series of raised fists in reference to the riots and the fight for equal rights for queer people. In the background, spanning the length of the wall is the Trangender Flag. Painted over 12 days by myself, with sporadic help from volunteers, including some very lovely local trans citizens, the mural’s completion was celebrated in a block party in which those attending were invited to contribute a few brush strokes of their own , coloring in some flowers along the periphery.
The whole experience really made my heart sing, and I very much hope to continue this kind of mural honoring our LGBTQ heroes in cities across the globe as there are SO MANY wonderful queer people from our history that deserve greater visibility, recognition and celebration. If you think your city would like one of these murals, and can help direct me to the right people, please contact me.
Photos by Werner Duhme and Brian Kenny.
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Mural made possible by Artitude, Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs, Impulse Group Dallas & the Cedar Springs Merchant Association.