Amid a recent surge in anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in Texas, including
Senate Bill 12
,
Senate Bill 1188
and
Senate Bill 1257
, a local art show resists conformity through a celebration of unapologetic queer expression.
Curated by local photographer Chance Weick, “Spilled Fruit” brings together LGBTQ+ artists from across Texas to reclaim space and community in the South. The art show’s opening was held from 7 to 9 p.m. on July 11 at The Future Front House, a local gallery and community center on 12th Street.
Weick said the purpose of “Spilled Fruit” is to highlight LGBTQ+ talent across the state, amplifying LGBTQ+ voices and boldly reclaiming queer visibility in the South.
Themes of juxtaposition appear in the work of featured photographers Scott Mabe and Tony Krash Alvarez. Raised in rural East Texas, Mabe uses his art to scandalize the Southern landscape of his childhood, collaging explicit imagery over scenic photographs of his hometown. Similarly, Alvarez asserts a “queer touch” against an opposing backdrop in his 2022 piece, “Beneath The Skin (Piercing Reverence).”
“I grew up in a very homophobic community in Dallas, oftentimes conforming just to survive, and it wasn’t until I realized I wanted to break out of that that I found inspiration,” Alvarez said. “In the current state of U.S. and Texas politics, my community’s rights are slowly being taken away. As a photographer and documentarian, I refuse to let us be minimized.”
The show features 14 artworks across various mediums: abstract gouache paintings by Stephanie Gonzalez, textured mixed-media pieces by Jet Treviño, paper collages by Steven Foley and the work of four photographers.
Seth Prestwood, an Alabama-born and Austin-based multimedia artist, said “Spilled Fruit” was his first art show in years due to the high sales commission charged by many local galleries. To promote accessibility and uplift artists, The Future Front House did not take any commission from art sales in the showcase.
“It’s hard sometimes to find your place in the gallery scene,” Prestwood said. “(‘Spilled Fruit’) has re-lit this energy in me … it feels good to have the opportunity.”
Jeffrey Jin, a queer second-generation Chinese American photographer raised in a devout Chinese church community outside Houston, said their religious upbringing largely informs their work, which often left them caught between clashing identities. Jin contributed one piece to the display: a 20-by-24-inch digital photograph of two men embracing in the backseat of a car.
“All art is political,” Jin said. “A lot of my pictures, even though they’re just portraits of people who happen to be queer, it’s me forcing whoever sees it to recognize that these people exist in Texas. … Even if it’s just a basic headshot, it’s still forcing visibility onto the viewer.”
Weick said that whenever visitors enter the space and as they absorb everything on the walls, he wants them to feel inspired.
“I want them to know that they are a part of the LGBTQIA+ community,” Weick said. “I want them to walk away feeling like they’ve been nourished in that way.”
Editor’s Note: Chance Weick works at Texas Student Media as the media account executive. The Daily Texan operates as a publication of Texas Student Media.
