WIP : House of Extravaganza
Re-imagining Strawberry Hill as an incubator of subversive queer space for London
WIP : masterplan drawing of the new interventions at Strawberry Hill . digital illustration
Queerantine Studio: Welcome to Divine’s Dollhouse
Divine’s Dollhouse Studio . 2020 - axonometric
A Memorial for XXL , 2020 mixed media
Referencing the typology of Gothic religious altars, “A memorial for XXL” is a physical manifestation of the men-only nightclub once located in Southwark, South London. XXL was the de-facto ‘temple’ of London’s bear and leather communities for almost two decades. Although controversial because of its strict door policy that rejected any visible signs of femininity, it held a special place in London’s gay scene as the last remaining super club equipped with a labyrinthine darkroom. The altar amplifies and denotes spatial characteristics of XXL that were once hidden and unknown to passers-by. The focal point of the installation lies in the circle in the middle. The circle itself ‘glorifies’ the glory-hole, a common characteristic of the darkroom typology and a denominator of transgressive sexuality. Aside for the symbolic, the circle enables mourners to pay their respects with offerings.
A momument to Queer Gothic , 2020
In 1749 Horace Walpole a queer man, writer, architect, socialite -and the son of the first UK prime minister- envisioned Strawberry Hill. A suburban palace built in Gothic style at a time when Palladianism was still in fashion. Inside his secluded mansion Horace created a world of his own, where he could explore his identity freely from the wondering eye. The Neo-Gothic of Strawberry Hill House can be understood as a deliberate rebel counter-culture. This act of Queer architectural rebellion is not any less relevant today, where we encounter the replacement of LGBTQ+ spaces with towering glass architecture. The exuberance of the Neo gothic is portrayed in this very tower. A showroom for the style, made as an ‘open cage’. Elements of the Neo gothic are juxtaposed against elements of the queer vernacular, resulting into a hybrid architectural style. Ornament can be powerful if it is culturally relevant and not merely present, Robert Venturi has said. Queer gothic is not to be understood merely as an aesthetic style but also as a set of attributes’, a set of words. At the very top of the tower a recreation of the blue stained-glass windows found at Strawberry Hill house. Horace himself invented a word to describe the effect that those windows created: ”Gloomth” : which can be understood as the relationship between light and shadow. Further down a set of columns are suggesting a new form of tectonics. Queering the traditional four-pillar Gothic column, the artist created a twisted version of it resembling bodies engaging in sexual intercourse.
High Heel Slide , 2019
The High heel slide is a playful critique of the resentment of femininity that exists within the gay community in particular. Last year a man was refused entry to a gay nightclub because he was wearing high heel platforms. The incident sparked a series of protests outside the venue and a bitter dispute between the owners and protesters. That venue was XXL. The piece does not choose sides but instead contributes to the debate. There should be spaces where gay men could experience extreme and hyper-masculinity. But at what cost? ‘High heel slide’ is an invitation to all gay men who need to embrace their more feminine sides. So come on and take a slide down!
Essay : The Queer Neo-Gothic of Horace Walpole
In order to understand how queerness and sexuality were appropriated spatially in the past I diverted my focus in 18th century London and looked at the fascinating history of Strawberry Hill House in Twickenham. Strawberry Hill is a Neo-Gothic palace envisioned by Horace Walpole, a queer man, writer, architect, socialite and the son of United Kingdom’s first prime minister. Inside his secluded mansion he created a world of his own, where he could explore his identity freely from the wondering eye.
The house was not a product of one man alone, but it was developed with Horace’s inner circle of male friends, between 1747 and 1777. Designers John Chute, Richard Bentley and leading architect Richard Bentley collaborated with Walpole in creating a house that essentially introduced a new style of Gothic as an architectural language-at a time when ‘Palladianism’ was still in fashion. The four of them proclaimed themselves as the Strawberry Hill Committee, or the Committee of Taste (Haggerty, 2011). Inside the House, the committee created a sensory and mysterious environment, reminiscent of Medieval architecture and the Gothic cathedrals that Horace had encountered during his travels to Italy. Intricate Papier-mache ceilings, molding, antique furniture and stained-glass windows all encapsulated the character of the Neo-Gothic. In fact, Horace was so fond of his achievements, that he meticulously documented every architectural detail, furniture, art and belongings inside the house– room by room. He then published the book: ‘A description of the Villa of Mr Horace Walpole’ which was essentially a ‘written’ portrait of himself.
Over the years, Strawberry Hill became a sort of an amusement park for its patron. In a letter to dignitary Henry Seymour Conway, Horace himself referred to it as ‘a little plaything-house and the prettiest bauble you ever saw’(Haggerty, 2011 p.7). Anachronistically historian Mathew Reeve described Strawberry Hill as: ‘A large Gothic closet to which Walpole could sometimes retire when he wished to express his true persona with intimate friends’ (Reeve, 2013 p.411). Timothy Mowl, a contemporary biographer of Horace Walpole, claimed that his homosexuality was an abiding yet overlooked subject in understanding his aesthetics and the development of the Neo-Gothic( Mowl, 1996 ). Indeed, one could argue whether Horace’s employment of the Gothic was in fact a ‘high-camp’ act of defiance against normative conventions and his disregard of the Palladian style that prevailed. (Reeve, 2013 p.411).
In short the Neo-Gothic of Strawberry Hill House can be understood as a ‘deliberate rebel counter-culture’(Mowl, 1996 ). This act of Queer architectural rebellion is not any less relevant today, where we encounter the replacement of our collective spaces with towering glass architecture.
Sources:
Haggerty George (2006) “Queer Gothic”, USA . University of Illinois Press.
Haggerty George (2011) “Horace Walpole's Letters: Masculinity and Friendship in the Eighteenth Century” USA. LB University press
Mowl Timothy (1996). “Horace Walpole : The Great Outsider”. London. Faber Finds.
Reeve Matthew (2013 Sep.) “Gothic Architecture, Sexuality, and License at Horace Walpole's Strawberry Hill’ The Art Bulletin in Vol. 95, No. 3 pp. 411-439
Digital illustration of Strawberry Hill House , inspired by a 19th century painting of an unknown artist.
House Tour. 2019
Some 300 years ago Horace Walpole used to showcase his treasures and his beloved Strawberry Hill House, in infamous weekend guided tours. The tours were given to royals, tittle-holders and potential lovers- whilst children were not welcomed. In the film, the artist takes over the role of Horace Walpole, guiding us from the grand gallery space to the armoury and then to the gardens of the estate, only to be interrupted by drag queen Divine the III. With her appearance Divine is questioning the current function of Strawberry Hill as another period house on the list of tourists, in what could be a new queer palace for London.
disclaimer: For the duration of the film the artist is lip-syncing to the song ‘The man I love’, a classic song that was included in Zebedy Colt’s groundbreaking album, the first homosexual record to be released back in the 1970s.
Soho's changing facades
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Poetry : A boy raised to be a man.
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A boy raised to be a man
now is flaunting a fur, so long that reaches his toes.
He likes to look at himself sometimes, in his fantasy mirror of illusions.
A modern narcissus...
Yet all he can see is a shadow.
A boy raised to be a man
now he feels like one, dressed in a leather ensemble.
Yet his boots have heels and he carries sunflowers.
He longs to be a cowboy...
but he doesn’t have a horse.
A boy raised to be a man
now wants to be a woman.
In a sea of bad wigs he pulls the orange one out.
He is ready for a bath among the stars.
He is She now.
As She goes deeper into the water she looses her wig.
A boy raised to be man
now is looking at her wig drowning.
She is He now.
Diary : Visiting the Wilbraham in NYC
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WIP.