atlanta legendary children
jon dean
check legendary children photo gallery
i’d like to welcome jon dean to powder who’s gracing us with his presence to chat about the recent exhibition. i’d like to say jon that our eyes were jumping out of their sockets when we took in the scintillating shots from the exhibition.
so firstly what was the inspiration behind the exhibition? how did it all come about?
Legendary Children has been a long-ass journey for everyone involved. I’ve only lived in Atlanta for about a year and a half, so I’ve had to build relationships with these people from the ground up. Cayenne Rouge was quickly getting her foot in the drag scene door, which is no easy task in Atlanta… I was introduced to Blane Bussey, who had a lot of great ideas for the project and we eventually teamed up with the other photographers – Matthew Terrell, Kevin O, and Blake England.
Atlanta Pride was very supportive of the project and we could not have done it without them. Laura Barton is the Event Manager over there and has always been a huge advocate for these queens. She connected us with Buck Cooke and that’s how Atlanta Pride got on board.
As for the inspiration, it’s always been the queens.
what’s the drag scene like in atlanta? why is atlanta such a hub for drag activity?
Atlanta is a city like no other, and we are often overlooked or underestimated. This is one of the gayest cities I’ve ever been to, and we are stuck right in the middle of the Bible Belt. Queer kids and creative types all over the south flock to Atlanta. It’s a light at the end of the tunnel. We still have our share of fear and intolerance, but the city as a whole is very progressive. Some of the most famous names in the business have found their footing here – RuPaul, Jayne County, and Lady Bunny, among others.
so could you tell us a bit about those gorgeous models in the photos?
We’ve got all types - camp queens, fish queens, witch queens, burlesque queens, but mostly drama queens. Some of them are still baby queens and some have been doing drag for several years. The majority of them are performing every week in Midtown or East Atlanta and hosting their own shows.
Edie Cheezburger really paved the way for a lot of this to happen. She hosts a weekly show called The Other Show at Jungle Atlanta. It is unlike any drag show you will ever see. Those girls turn it out and bring something fresh and exciting every week. Jaye Lish and Edie deserve a lot of the credit for giving this community a creative outlet.
Ellisorous Rex has also played a huge part in building this community up. She hosts two shows, Glitz! and Gurlfrandz in East Atlanta that are consistently amazing and giving voice to different styles of performance. She can dance the house down and commands respect as soon as she walks in the room.
you say that these are drag queens with a difference. how so?
Overall, I think that the Atlanta scene was getting kind of lazy, but not anymore. These queens push boundaries. There’s been a recent renaissance of drag in Atlanta and it’s exciting to watch. They take their talents outside of the usual gay bars. Drag queens have always been the fiercest advocates for gay rights and also the most vulnerable to criticism. There are still a lot of gay people that don’t want to be represented that way. They say, “You can be out and proud, but don’t surrender your masculinity!” Our queens are redefining what drag queens can do. On any given night, you’ll have Lavonia Elberton (host of Coven at Mother) casting spells and feeding the audience popsicles out of her ass, Violet Chachki spinning across the stage on aerial silks, and Evah Destruction flawlessly re-enacting a number from Company or Chicago.
the exhibition is called legendary children. what’s behind the name?
It references a famous line from the documentary, Paris is Burning. The underground ball scene and that film in particular have had a long lasting influence on the drag community. These queens may not consider themselves legends or even the best in Atlanta, but they are all fresh, unique, and up and coming. The whole attitude behind it is something that felt genuine to this project. In this community, you really have to stick your neck out there and make people pay attention. Maybe you’re not the best performer or the fishiest queen out there, but you still have a voice and a place in the ball.
you’re one of the five photographers from the exhibition. tell us about yourselves.
I couldn’t be more proud of the group of photographers we gathered for this exhibit.
Blane Bussey shoots the queens in unexpected, public environments. I applaud him for getting this many queens to do day-drag, especially during the summer months!
Blake England took his obsession with one queen, Violet Chachki, and turned it into an eerie body of work. They are really intimate and gorgeous and befitting for a queen that is continually making a splash in our city.
Kevin O shot the queens using disposable cameras - backstage, on stage, and after performances. His work was displayed in small, intimate frames and really brought a fresh perspective to the space.
Matthew Terrell used a double exposure technique to highlight all aspects of drag performance in stark, vibrant colors.
I shot the queens in front of appropriated digital projections, highlighting the artifice of drag. In addition, I created a series of black and white studio portraits of the queens inspired by old Hollywood headshots and pinups.
so how was the exhibition received? and please tell us about the controversy that was stirred up during the show.
We had an amazing turnout for the show. There were so many drag show-virgins and older people who said they hadn’t been to a drag show in X amount of years. That was one of the most exciting aspects of the event.
Despite the initial controversy surrounding the artwork, I think we started an interesting conversation that needed to be had. We certainly never expected to be censored, but the gallery owner, Melanie Bell, stood up for our work and did what she had to do in a shitty situation. She’s essentially being pushed out of her job because of it. We were given an ultimatum – cover up or remove the “pornographic” pieces or the reception may not happen. Not all of us agreed on how to best handle the situation, but emotions were running high and it felt personal.
Matthew Terrell wrote a great piece on the controversy for VICE - No Amount of Censorship Can Stop Atlanta's Drag Queens from Looking Fabulous
and will the exhibition be touring elsewhere? do you plan to hold another one?
I would love to continue to expand and show the work, but also to throw another amazing party and drag show. Right now, our first stop is Savannah, GA. I went to school there and we didn’t have a strong nightlife that catered to young queer people. There is a newer venue called Dollhouse that has asked us to bring the art and the queens, so we will have a big show in January. We’ve been in talks with this amazing band WHITEGOLD, and they will be opening for the drag queens.
I’d love to take it to New York or San Francisco. It’s been great working with this group of people and I am eager to work with more Atlanta queens. Stay tuned!
lastly, how did you get into this line of photography jon?
I went to the Savannah College of Art and Design, but really didn’t catch my footing until I started focusing on cinema studies. I’ve always been inspired by film, especially Hollywood melodramas and slasher films… anything with a strong female presence, which is unfortunately rare in most mainstream movies. Once I began incorporating and dissecting these movies with my photography, I finally felt like I was doing something important and something uniquely me.
thank you so much jon for speaking with us here at powder. it’s certainly been a pleasure and we look forward to perusing some more of your seductive snaps.
check out the legendary children site
