BADKIDS @ the UMFA
Art
“[We are] for an art that grows up not knowing it is art at all.” —Claes Oldenburg
Look who is at the museum—The Bad Kids! As multi-media selfie-installations and gender integrated performance art, I think they’ll feel at home here. Left to right, let’s meet them: Klaus von Austerlitz, Flame Fatale, Jezebel Jet, Derek, Chartreuse, Arousalind, The Bearded Femme, Cartel Chameleon Fenice—bad kids who are the autonomous happenings of human bodies—blood, bone, nerve, organ, breath—trillions of cells aged and altered over approx. 29 years (ca. 1989-90), preserved in good health, dimensions variable—who are for an art that is them and she and her and him and they and ours and also theirs. For them, everyday is a drag, every body a skin-soul canvas to apply with costume, cosmetics and ontological anarchism.
Inspired by the babes over at babesatthemuseum.com, with the help of the Utah Museum of Fine Art and Chad Kirkland Photography.
The baddest bad babe of all—Christ babe and her faceless mother Madonna. Faceless Mother Madonna doesn’t have a face because flesh is shutting up her face because instead of language women had babies. The Christ babe was born to her faceless mother so that she (babe) could grow up and be the man Messiah. The faceless mother dotes on her babe, as Cartel answers the evangeline call (she’s got iOS 7) with frankincense and myrrh and precious golds brought to the babe in the guava gallery: plastic purple tablecloth, green paper carnations (crafted into wig hair), and a Walden filter, of course, pairs well with selfies under halo light.
“It’s a simple surgery,” this babe tells us. “Configure the contours of your internal landscape, graft skin for the new face. Mostly pain-free procedures and there you have it—lift off!”
Chemtrails—clouds of secrecy or aviation conspiracy theory? Flame is enchanted by the bright blue sky.
Florida-based artist Jillian Mayer’s work decorates the Salt Gallery, dedicated to contemporary art from emerging artists. Who is Jillian Mayer?
Portrait of a gentleman, performance of a lady. Or was it the other way around? When she’s not doing herself, The Bearded Femme’s doing Kabuki. We found her in guava entertaining some portraits of Flemish persons—“Boy does she make one spooky Kabuki!” says the Flemish who is fat and male, a bearded white male (this is his gallery). Elegant, spooky, bearded—thrusting queer issues in the limelight is this Femme’s game.
A hard-edged cleanliness, the chic abstract geometric look worn by Jezebel Jet (comic book model/starlet rumored to be dating the wealthy patron of fine arts Bruce Wayne).
Abhaya—language for the fearless, Sanskrit.
“What do you mean there’s no Pollock? Fine, I’ll be by the Frankenthaler.”
Exquisite swirls of seafoam, pools of blue-green water soaked into canvas, the bold brush of waves crashing into a pointillist gesture against this peach backdrop—all in a babe’s work.
Pristine Cis-tine, waiting for sainthood.
The body mask: we play the roles we cannot do via the body mask. Gender permutates when in use. In the human species, one must be worn at all times.
“There’s all these roles and rules that we have to perform in front of people—cultural, racial, economic. You act differently in front of your parents than you do your friends: Everything is drag—we’re always performing.”
Tired of that mint complexion? When you’re green, you’re nobody, nothing. Give up the green screen and Let Paradise become Y-O-U! Remember—You’ll Be Okay.
By 2014, optimistic rock n’ roll youths dressed in drag turn up occasionally as art objects in museums across US America.
Who let this minotaur babe out of the Labyrinth? Part man, part-Manson—she’s dressed up to freak out somebody’s parents. Found in the guava gallery. On Facebook, another story: (somebody’s in need of mega rearing):
Seeking: Megataur who loves to kick it on the soccer field and maybe grab a drink after
Me: Fun loving J.P. Gaultier steel-hoofed ‘Taur, 8’11” lavendar/chrome/black skin netting… honestly haven’t augmented in a while so would like to find a naturalist like myself…
NO STACKERS OR HYPERMODS PLz
if this is you then send me a brain wave!!!!!!
Bad Kids are cool, ordinary, beautiful people—just like you. Meet us at the Museum! Meet us in the Library! We are your girlfriend’s classmates, your co-worker’s friends, people you kind of know somehow.
“I’m sharing something that is really hard and scary. Showing people that they’re not alone, and [that] being a freak is totally OK and important.”
Read about the beginning of the Bad Kids with Cartel herself.
God, Goddess or Monster? Yes, yes and—ermm—yes—have you seen this beast after too much Del Scorcho at Del Taco after Metro on a Thursday night?
We thank you for visiting virtual reality museum photo gallery space. Share, repeat, and never stop living beautiful lives. Remember—You’ll Be Okay.
See members of the Bad Kids perform jaded Valentine’s routines at their homebase, Metro Bar, on Thursday, February 13th.
Meet more Bad Kids here.
