Dress & Escapism: Performance of Identity Through Drag and Burlesque Costume

×

Expand

MItchell Art Gallery, "Dress and Escapism: Performance of Identity through Drag and Burlesque Costume," 2021

Related Events: 

How it’s Made: Drag and Burlesque Costume Construction

February 9 at 6pm on Vimeo and Facebook Live 

Josée Chartrand, curator of Dress & Escapism will be hosting the first instalment of Conversations with the Curator via Vimeo and Facebook Live on February 9.

She will be joined by Elise Truong, corset designer, and C.J. Rowein, drag and burlesque performer, to discuss the construction and design of burlesque and drag costumes. Get a behind-the-scenes look into costume creation from the perspective of a professional designer who works with artists in both mediums, and an artist who makes their own garments.

Identity through dress: dressing The Little Deputy

March 3 at 6 pm on Vimeo and Facebook Live

Josée Chartrand, curator of Dress & Escapism, will be hosting the second instalment of Conversations with the Curator via Vimeo and Facebook Live on March 3.

Chartrand will be joined by the artists who brought the red dress in Trevor Anderson’s short film, The Little Deputy (2015), to life. Writer director Trevor Anderson, designer Nicole Bach, and dress maker Joanna Johnston will all discuss how the design, construction, and styling of the garment realized Anderson’s childhood yearning for a garment through this film.

The exhibition showcases dramatic examples of social and political art from the stages and clubs of Edmonton by individual performers (Holly Von Sinn, Claudia Hartout, Rusty Strutz and Darrin Hagen), performance companies (Guys in Disguise and Send in the Girls Burlesque) and film (Trevor Anderson Films).

Dress & Escapism: Performance of Identity through Drag and Burlesque Costume invites visitors to look closely at costumes typically only seen at a distance in performance. A closer view brings details into focus that may otherwise get overlooked. Tears, stains and missing and loose sequins are all part of a costume’s life, and these imperfections are evidence of the rigours that these artists not only put their costumes through, but also their bodies. Viewed up close, the construction and designs of these costumes also come into focus. The under structures used to shape and pad out a drag silhouette are seldom seen, but are fundamental to the illusion of drag. Similarly, the featured burlesque costumes make visible the remarkable sturdiness and design of their rapid release closures—they must remain fixed in place until the artist chooses to release them, allowing the artists to tease their way out of their costume with ease.

While the exhibition highlights how construction details and wear uniquely illustrate the life of the featured costumes, the aesthetic artistry of the garments is its primary focus. Each costume tells a story unique to the persona of the artist who wore it.

Related Event:

2021 YEG Art + Feminism: Critically reading Wikipedia February 24, 2021

Join us via Zoom for the first YEG A + F event in our Wikipedia edit-a-thon series as we discuss how to critically examine the construction of Wikipedia and the ways you can contribute and engage in editing as information activism!

Inspired by the Mitchell Art Gallery exhibition Dress & Escapism: Performance of Identity through Drag and Burlesque Costume, YEG Art + Feminism 2021 is focusing on writing queer art history into Wikipedia.

This event includes a collaborative group activity with the aim of creating a crowdsourced list of articles to work on for the final edit-a-thon. Participants will be asked to go to Wikipedia and start making note of what is missing or poorly represented.

Feel free to brainstorm topics of interest or work from our crowdsourced list of ideas. No prior knowledge or experience is required to participate.

A Zoom link will be sent out prior to the event to all registered participants via email. Visit the event website for more information and everything you need to get started!

This event was organized in a collaborative effort by the Mitchell Art Gallery, MacEwan's Faculty of Fine Art and Communications, MacEwan University Library, University of Alberta Library, and the Alberta University of the Arts.