Reflecting on Local Queer Complexity

To mark Pride Month, I am happy to recommend books by LGBTQI artists, who expand the boundaries of identity discourse. As a queer theorist, I am always drawn to artists whose work exposes hidden boundaries and works to disrupt and obscure what threatens to separate us.

This is what Tomer Sapir does in his book Research for the Full Crypto-Taxidermical Index in which he creates a visual study that plays between history and mythology, truth and fiction, by questioning the neutrality with which we accept a concept as fact.

The cover of Leon Grady's Natural Worker was uniquely created by the artist, golden strokes of color adorn the exciting book. At the heart of the book is a series of paintings of the Sea of ​​Galilee, also glittering with gold, the choice to paint them in oil paints created stains that penetrate beyond the image and remind us of the inexhaustible nature of existence.

Yael Meiry focuses on the partial body, in many photographs and images that present a small part as a large whole. Meiry documents a life that takes place on the margins, a kicking punk scene, and an intimate queer community, which combine through and through the artist's body, which is present in the photography instead of being excluded behind the scenes.

All three of them, along with other LGBTQI artists, deal with the complexity of the local LGBTQI experience and encourage me to think toward a brighter future, that sees beyond differentiation and division.

05.06.2024