A Year on Planet Queer
Performance and activism have a deep history within the queer community; the 'Stonewall Riots' in New York City in 1969, that began the modern day gay rights movement, was started by a trans-woman of color who was also a Drag Queen and performer. Many of these stories, and those of the artists who came after have never been documented. The performances lost to history. In the 1980’s and early 1990’s, queer art culture lost countless stories, creative voices, and histories to the AIDS crisis. However, posters from events, diaries, and 'zines have become much of the only physical legacy left to the younger queer generation.
During 2017, I documented the full performance year of Planet Queer, a thriving performance art group based in a small venue in Los Angeles, California. The project amassed an archive of more than 10,000 photographs and memorabilia of the performers, audience, and environment. These events became a safe space for the queer community to explore its history, promote understanding about its culture, and challenge the status quo.
Inspired by the artists of the 70s who preserved much of what we know about queer art with ‘zines, I published a monthly ‘zine of the work as it was being created at Planet Queer. I wanted to make a physical record of this year in queer history as well as foster a sense of permanence that appropriately acknowledges its importance.
With the work completed, I finalized a monograph for publication that tells the visual history of Planet Queer in 2017. Additionally, there is a foreword written by off-off-broadway pioneer and critically acclaimed playwright Robert Patrick and an interview with the Planet Queer founders Ian McKinnon and Travis Wood.
