Lesbian Art Show

Lesbian Art Show

No, that’s actually what it’s called…And these dykey works premiere not at the lesbian haven of Last Thursday, but the rather posher, older, art sibling First Thursday when the “Lesbian Art Show” opens at Fontanelle Gallery (205 SW Pine Street) at 6pm.

Local lezzie artists Mary McAllister and Azsa West, better known for their dyke party DJing, present mixed media collage, drawings, sculpture, and installation inspired by the Dada movement of the 1920s.

Lesbian Art Show represents the timeless and chaotic style of Dada, the intimacies of Left Bank lesbians in the 1920s, and the revolutionary spirit of queer ephemera combined with personal experiences from a recent European adventure, lesbian lifestyles, strange habits, the need for order and documentation, large type, and perhaps most importantly, true love. The works on view often utilize textual diagrams to illustrate ideas. Through graphs, maps, exquisite corpse, and Venn diagrams, they deliver their observations and revelations. In addition, there will be an installation constructed collaboratively with friends, and finessed with respect for historical representation and compassion for community.

A bit more thematically cohesive than earlier Dada collages, McAllister and West revolve their artistic “absurdism” around the cultural framework of lesbian love and existence, going as far as to incorporate their intimate relationship into the show.

Azsa West and Mary McAllister cohabitate in majestic Portland, Oregon where they met and fell in love. They belong to a group of talented young comrades who inspire each other through conversation, ambition, and creativity. Their activities are infused with the desire to strive towards a unique and personal definition of being lesbian. West and McAllister are interested in documenting this ethos, from studying its roots as represented in historical literature and photography, to producing and participating in contemporary queer culture.

Lesbian Art Show will be on view at Fontanelle Gallery, 205 SW Pine Street (between 2nd and 3rd Avenue) through June 27th. Hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 12-6pm and by appointment.