VU Gallery exhibit shows that queerness is hard to define

Seven primarily Seattle-based queer artists are participating in the newest VU Gallery show, Intersections: Interpretations and Reflections of Queer Artists, which opened April 16.

The show runs through May 3, with a closing reception in the gallery planned for 6 to 8 p.m. on the last day.

The exhibit is based on the shared differences of queer artists. By combining a group of complex artists -- Therese Buchmiller, Adrain Chesser, Timothy White Eagle, Paul D. McKee, Garth Amundson, Pierre Gour and Steven Miller -- who are interpreting, challenging and living different lives, Intersections is approaching queer identity in a different way, one that further complicates the idea that queerness is difficult to define. Through displaying and examining the personal histories in their work, the lack of a common thread in their work becomes the common thread. It becomes clear that being queer is not defined by a singular experience but is the result of many identities and experiences intersecting.

The walls are adorned with photographs depicting various scenes of tribalism, rituals and anachronistic imagery; vintage photographs silkscreened with a translucent layer of a historic wallpaper pattern; cut-out faces mounted into circular shapes on the wall; spiraling, blooming, and concentric circular objects, both tactile and industrial, arranged in clusters on the wall; and an installation contrasting a hetero-normative domestic scene with materials associated with masculinity.

During the duration of the show, two of the participating artists, Buchmiller and Miller, will lecture at Western. After these lectures will be a walk through in the gallery with an opportunity to interact directly with the artists and their work. These lectures are co-sponsored by the Western Fine Art Department Photography Program and the Viking Union Gallery.

The exhibit is curated by VU Gallery Director Ashley Hollender, Queer Resource Center Assistant Coordinator Briana Fitzpatrick, and Queer Resource Center Coordinator Jordan Deal.

• Artist Talk: Steven Miller - noon Wednesday, April 18, in Fine Arts Room 238.
• Artist Talk: Therese Buchmiller - 3 p.m. Monday, April 30, in Fine Arts Room 238.

Both lectures are free and open to the public.