Posts tagged CHICAGO IRL
Excerpt from CHICAGO IRL #4 interview with KOKUMO KINETIC with Joseph Varisco (June 2012) Photographed by: Jonathan Mathias
What are some publications you would give your seal of approval to or encourage other youth, those struggling with various life challenges as a transgender individual, a gender non-conforming individual, an intersex individual, an individual who has experienced abuse?
Julia Serano is a revolutionary and she really did equip me with a mental and an artistic arsenal when I read Whipping Girl, a study on trans misogyny. Because, you know, we will always talk about misogyny, but no one ever talks about trans misogyny and the fact that it is a different form of sexism that is directed toward trans individuals, namely trans feminine individuals. For me as an artist when I was coming up in Chicago there wasn’t a space for me as a trans artist. As a writer when I would go to open mic sets, queer open mic sets, I would get called the wrong pronoun. When I told people that I identify as a woman there would be gasps. There would be giggles and people who didn’t understand. So I always came up in this place of people understanding their plight, you know, gay people understanding how homophobia is wrong, but nobody knew anything about trans misogyny. When I read Serano she put everything in a basket and gave it to me, and I was just like, “Thank you so much.” I would definitely recommend that book to anybody who’s trying to get a grasp on why the world hates you oh so much. It’s because the world hates femininity. The world hates feminine beings. It’s not always about hating a woman. It is about hating femininity as well as hating a woman. Another book I would recommend is The Fabulous Sylvester. That book just was revelatory because I had already heard of Sylvester being this luminary, but to read their life story it just made everything so tangible and I was there. I saw Sylvester fighting record labels. I saw Sylvester captivating entire continents and I was inspired. I was assured that I could do that same thing.
KOKUMO KINETIC is the CEO and Founder of KOKUMOMEDIA and works with the Broadway Youth Center as the Program Design Specialist as well as Youth Scholar with Affinity Community Services. KOKUMO is currently working on a myriad of works including her second play, an album, a poetry collection and is the creator of the Transgender Gender Non-Conforming Intersex Freedom (T.G.I.F.) festival.
Polaroid donations for @chicagoirl kickstarter backers. Check out the new issue! (Taken with Instagram)
CHICAGO IRL Issue 4 Release Part I - Salonathon - h melt
h. melt is a transqueer poet and artist who was born in chicago. their creative work explores the relationships
between race, gender, sexuality, class and religion. h. melt’s work has been featured in queer chicago spaces
such as homolatte, wolfram manor collective, and woman made gallery. they are pursuing an mfa @ the school
of the art institute of chicago.Every Monday, artists of all types descend upon Beauty Bar to bring to life works that defy traditional genres, from dance pieces crafted in basements to puppet shows put together in attics to stories written on the CTA to the side projects of local legends. Conceived and curated by Jane Beachy, SALONATHON strives to support the creation of new, emerging and underground art in Chicago and beyond.
(Source: jrvmajesty)
CHICAGO IRL wanted to share with you this letter included in our year-end fourth issue and once again thank everyone for their support, collaboration, challenges and love. We hope to only improve as we go on and look forward to taking time to learn and exchange knowledge to keep pushing forward. We are shaking things up over here as we head into year two! Stay tuned for more.
I have a handful of prints from my Bondage Series available for purchase. Prints are 10.5 x 15.25in at $10 (+$3 s&h, $6 int’l) each. Get them here while they last!
(Each print has a corresponding number. Please indicate which print(s) you would like to purchase when checking out.)
More beautiful work by contributor and Beyonce sworn illuminating topknot sister force of nature, Andy Siharath.
All online orders of Chicago IRL come with a postcard of this photograph by Andy Siharath!
(via thepeppermintleper)
CHICAGO IRL Issue 4 Release Part I - Salonathon - Anita Butch
Anita Butch is a fierce fancy femme and mobile media machine, working as a freelance writer, reporter, editor and photojournalist, who recently relocated from Cincinnati to Chicago. At home she honed her social justice skills by working on intersectional issues of gender, sexuality, race, class, body positivity, reproductive health and STI prevention. She blogs at Stuff Queer People Need To Know.
Every Monday, artists of all types descend upon Beauty Bar to bring to life works that defy traditional genres, from dance pieces crafted in basements to puppet shows put together in attics to stories written on the CTA to the side projects of local legends. Conceived and curated by Jane Beachy, SALONATHON strives to support the creation of new, emerging and underground art in Chicago and beyond.
(Source: jrvmajesty)
CHICAGO IRL Issue 4 Release Part I - Salonathon - Jerry Blossom Brigade
Kiam Marcelo Junio is a multimedia artist working in photography, video, sculpture, and performance art. Kiam served seven years in the US Navy and a registered Yoga teacher. He is currently studying at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Kiam was born in the Philippines and has lived in the US, Japan, and Spain. He speaks English, Tagalog, and Spanish.
Every Monday, artists of all types descend upon Beauty Bar to bring to life works that defy traditional genres, from dance pieces crafted in basements to puppet shows put together in attics to stories written on the CTA to the side projects of local legends. Conceived and curated by Jane Beachy, SALONATHON strives to support the creation of new, emerging and underground art in Chicago and beyond.
Just one of the many brilliant performances at the very first Chicago IRL Release at Salonathon! Check out contributor Kiam in collaboration with contributors [X]P and Janie Stamm as Jerry Blossom gets them in line.
(Source: jrvmajesty)
Q&A with Sissy Spastik in the new issue of Chicago IRL #4! I want to thank all of whom were involved in this process, for them giving me the chance to showcase why and what I do and to also acknowledge how grateful and happy I am to be apart of this experience with all the other talented people. Thank you all so much! ❤
Photos of Chicago IRL #4 Salonathon Preview Party performers at Beauty Bar by Christopher Macsurak (from right to left): [X]P, Moi, Janie Stamm, Jerry Blossom, J. Teddy, Anita Butch, h. melt, Darling Shear, Wes Perry and Camali!
