Queer Art: Past and Present: Queer Body and Space, A Rose has Thorns

As part of the Found in Translation series funded by the PA Humanities and National Endowment for the Humanities, Fleisher Art Memorial and William Way are proud to present Queer Art: Past and Present, a series of lectures exploring Queer art histories and contemporary practices and aesthetics through the voices of five renowned art historians and artists. The lecture series will take place on Zoom and live Spanish interpretation will be provided.  

Found in Translation is a free series of art history and critical theory workshops organized by Fleisher in partnership with several cultural institutions throughout Philadelphia. The series specifically focuses on centering BIPOC and Queer voices, reflecting a more inclusive view of the communities we work with. Found in Translation, aligned with Fleisher’s mission of making art more accessible through our education and community programs, brings these valuable perspectives to a broader public. 

“We’re here. We’re queer. Get used to it”. This slogan is still as relevant as it was in the past but times have changed and we demand more. In this conversation with artist Jonathan Lyndon Chase, we will explore questions that were once reserved for the cisgender population but are now necessary as we evolve into a more inclusive and fluid world: Can queerness and art coexist? Is the representation of our experiences, of our bodies, of our diversity, being addressed in the arts? What stereotypes are still present in our culture? Is the queer box a reality? Jonathan will also be sharing some of their current body of work.  

Jonathan Lyndon Chase is an interdisciplinary artist who works in painting, video, sound and sculpture to depict queer black love and community amidst the backdrop of urban and domestic spaces. Chase’s figures hang in various forms of articulation – intertwined with domestic markers of a kitchen or a bedroom, they are then tethered by pop and street signage to blend emotional and physical, internal and external states of being. Rendered through layers of bright, visceral paint, make-up, foam and glitter these compositions challenge and subvert canonical misrepresentation and exclusion of the black body. 

About William Way 

William Way seeks to engage and support the diverse LGBTQIA+ communities in the greater Philadelphia area through arts & culture, empowerment, and community connections. They want all LGBTQIA+ people to feel safe, connected, and empowered, striving to be a community center whose staff, management, and board reflect the vibrant and richly diverse communities they serve. In these challenging times, the William Way LGBT Community Center, and what it represents, has evolved to meet the needs of the diverse people it serves 365 days a year. Learn more at www.waygay.org. 

Register via Eventbrite.

Image: Ana Teresa Fernandez, Ice Queen, 2011, digital still from 45-minute performance. Image courtesy of Alpesh Kantilal Patel.