Waterworks
2018
gouache and ink on panel,
24 inches x 18 inches
(b. 1980 — Chicago, Illinois) With a vibrant color palette and meticulous geometry, Edie Fake depicts the construction of LGBTQ* spaces. In a literal sense, he celebrates the clubs, bars, bathhouses, parks, stages, parades, and other places where LGBTQ individuals have congregated and found community. Obviously, these are not realistic depictions. Instead, they are like optimistic diagrams. Fake reimagines past places as he wishes they were and envisions future places as he hopes they will be.
In the metaphoric sense, Fake is also portraying the struggle LGBTQ individuals have in constructing a positive mental space. As a transgender person, Fake is interested in how the literal act of finding a place is related to the process an LGBTQ individual takes in finding personal meaning and acceptance. The spaces he illustrates are shown from unusual perspectives, distorting dimensions and making it hard for the viewer to orient. They seem to be in motion, emblematic of the experience of many LGBTQ individuals (especially those in gender transition) who are looking for identity and validation in a society with few clear, affirmative models.
*LGBTQ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (and/or questioning).