Dear Friendlies,
Jim Winters and I just finished a print collaboration called Songs in Reverse. These prints will be shown in conjunction with the SGC conference in Philadelphia in March 2010.
The idea behind the Songs in Reverse show is to highlight a favorite piece of music of each artist, re-contextualizing each song in a queer fashion. I chose There’s a Moon in the Sky (Called the Moon) by the B-52′s. Jim chose The Man That I Am With My Man by the Hidden Cameras. Our collaborative print was based on Do You Really Want to Hurt Me by Culture Club.
There’s A Moon In the Sky (Called the Moon) (inspired by The B-52′s).
‘There’s a Moon in the Sky (Called the Moon)‘ is one of those songs you hear as a teenager that reaches out of the speakers and taps you on the shoulder. Pssst: we wrote this song for you. Yes, you, the awkward one with the bad skin and weird feelings. Charles Nelson Reilly was my first queen on the TV. Fred Schneider was my first queen on the turntable. If you’re in outer space, Don’t feel out of place. ’cause there are thousands of others like you.
The Man That I Am With My Man (inspired by The Hidden Cameras)
Jim sez: “The Man That I Am With My Man, by the Hidden Cameras is a love song to men. Men and their rituals. Rituals that provide close proximity to each other, and in the song, ones that blossom into homoerotic experience. I find the song beautiful, humorous and sexy, and by mentioning both ‘the Army’ and ‘the Klan’ within this sexualized male ritual scenario, it becomes a political commentary reminiscent of a piece by Barbara Kruger: “You construct intricate rituals which allow you to touch the skin of other men”.”
Do You Really Want to Hurt Me? (inspired by The Battle of the Naked Men and Culture Club)
‘Do You Really Want to Hurt Me‘ was such a great song. I remember coming home from Junior High School to see Boy George on the local video show (this was before MTV). He was so confusing: is he a boy? Is he a girl? It didn’t matter. I didn’t know if I was a boy or a girl either. I was the girliest boy I knew, that’s for sure. Boy had a great look, to be sure, but this song packs an extra punch because it speaks to the anger and potential violence we experience for loving one another. Americans would much rather kill than kiss, and this Brit used makeup as his armor.
You can see a few photos and video of the print process (including visiting Nat @ Bloom Press to cut the prints down) here. It was great to collaborate with Jim, and I’m thrilled with the results.
I’ll get these up in the shop for sale soon.
xm
