The exhibition is the third Spring 2014 Commons Curatorial Residency exhibition at SOMArts, organized by residency recipient and Work MORE! creator and artistic director Mica Sigourney (VivvyAnne ForeverMORE!). By pairing San Francisco drag performers with non-drag fine artists for an exhibition of collaborative installations and performances, Work MORE! #6 situates San Francisco’s avant-garde and traditional drag practices within a gallery space, re-contextualizing the artistry, aesthetics and forms that are ever-present and continually evolving in San Francisco’s nightlife venues.

The organizers of Work MORE! #6 devised a platform for collaborative art-making that utilizes drag to disturb traditional notions of beauty and gender while promoting interdisciplinary collaborations among artists who co-create rather than compete.

22 avant-garde and traditional drag performers and artists are divided into six production teams that include at least one artist working in each discipline: painting, photography, music and video. Drag artists naturally cross mediums working freely in painting and design (make-up), soft sculpture (hair design and costume design) as well as sculpture (set and prop making). These new encounters and partnerships illustrate the multidisciplinary artistry embedded in drag making as well as strengthen and diversify drag families and traditions.

The largest of the collaborating artist teams, a group of 10 spearheaded by Kolmel WithLove, offers “Womenhouse,” a new work that draws attention and inspiration from feminist artists and collectives from the 1970’s and other historically rich moments. Special attention will be paid to—as well as inspiration drawn from— “Womanhouse” organized by Judy Chicago and Miriam Schapiro in 1972. “Womenhouse” will make eight pieces in break-off pairs that re-imagine and re-mix groundbreaking works that touch on nostalgia, sisterhood, race, money, access, radical politics and the art world.

EXHIBITING ARTIST TEAMS INCLUDE
–Dean Disaster and DiegoDiegoDiego.com
–Dorian Katz and Kevin Seaman
–Robbie Sweeny and VAINHEIN
–Ryan Crowder and Seven Mitchell
–Lark Buckinghan, Alice Cunt and Constance Hockaday
–Sugah Betes, Lydia Brunch (Kolmel WithLove), Sue Casa, Mutha Chucka, Dam Dyke, Fauxnique (Monique Jenkinson), U-PHORIA Glitter (Peter Griggs), Mona G. Hawd (Maryam Rostami), Lil Miss Hot Mess (Harris David Harris), Coco Kahlo

*image (left)
Photo by Cabure Bonugli, Robbie Sweeny and VAINHEIN pictured