Star Wars was my childhood beard, and I loved it.

9/5/2017

Growing up a queer boy in the 80's I tried to blend in. I did "boy" things. I had an extensive GI Joe collection; video games were my sibling surrogates; I even played catcher on the school softball team (insert joke here). But the aspect of "boydom" that I really latched onto was the phenomenon known as Star Wars. On a conscious level, I was drawn to the drama and the spectacle, but on a subconscious level Star Wars intrigued me in a multitude of ways that still work on my imagination today. It had all the butch qualities that a sexually confused adolescent could ever want: a shoot-em-up space cowboy, a sassy damsel in distress, a handsome blonde, daddy issues, you name it — it had it. Star Wars was my childhood beard, and I loved it.

By the time I was a gay teen and comfortable with my sexuality, I had become attached to these characters and stories. The concept of inventing oneself and building a fantasy that is inherent in the franchise parallels my own coming-of-age story, and therefore it had embedded itself into my character powerfully.

As a grown up, proud homo, Han, Leia, Luke and all they represent have found their way into my art. These heroes have now melded in my mind with my "Femme" interests, primarily fashion. Galaxies have collided and the sassy damsel is now Anna Wintour. Greedo is a high fashion model for Prada; Jabba for Yohji Yamamoto; Bill Cunningham is shooting a stylish ewok. Part parody, part satire, the collection of watercolors below represent taking my boy identity and queering him up. PEW PEW POOF!

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