This is Metropolitan (2019), a painting by Louis Fratino. In Metropolitan we see the inside of a gay club. Naked men, multicolored in the lights, dance and kiss on the dance floor. One of the major actions Fratino takes in his work is to represent the intimate, private moments of queer life. In spaces like these, the body is both public and private. In their nudity, the presence—and variety—of shoes stands out.

Why do you think that Fratino presents queer individuality through shoes rather than clothing or the body? 

About the artist

Louis Fratino (b. 1993) is an American artist who works primarily in figurative painting. Fratino is a gay man who uses his art to represent the unseen, the interiors, and the private lives of himself and the men he interacts with. He is considered to be part of a wave of artists reimagining the male gaze through a queer lens. 

This is Summer Azure, a photograph by Tourmaline. In Summer Azure, Tourmaline herself is the subject. She floats in a blue sky, wearing white clothing and an astronaut helmet. As a photograph, her position in the air is suspended, but as a viewer we don’t know if she is going up or down. The image is part of a series of five self-portraits, each named after a butterfly.

What do butterflies mean to you and what might butterflies tell you about Tourmaline herself?

About the artist

Tourmaline (b. 1983) is an American artist whose identity as a Black, trans, queer woman plays a major role in her work as an activist-artist. She serves as a community historian for drag queens and trans people around the history of Stonewall. Her art often approaches the naturalization of Black trans bodies in spaces, particularly in nature. 

These are two paintings by Dabin Ahn titled Constellation (Triangulum) (2024) and Constellation (Little Dipper) (2024) respectively. In these paintings, fireflies circle around floral porcelain vases. As you look closer, the space within the painting begins to expand from two-dimensions into three, or maybe even more. These fireflies, are not landing just on the surface of the vase, but on the branches painted on to the vase. 

About the Artist

Dabin Ahn (b. 1988) is a Korean painter and sculptor whose work derives from the imagery and aesthetics of porcelain. His painting technique is smooth—so smooth that people are shocked by the lack of visible brush stroke. Much of his work examines the fragility of human emotions, investigating sadness and the ways in which we heal from it.