FABULOUS RUSSELLA / RUSSELL in the Transformations series (image © Holly Revell)
Holly Revell is arguably the preeminent photographer on London’s alternative queer drag and performance scene. She has collaborated extensively with artists such as Scottee, David Hoyle, Jonny Woo and Duckie, and is a founder member of DARC, the Documentation Action Research Collective. She also created this blog’s main image – the high heel on the dead telly.
Revell’s latest project is Transformations, an exhibition taking place across two east London venues associated with queer performance, LimeWharf and The Glory. Transformations consists of portraits of performers – single images, generated by single long exposures, in which the artist is seen both as their on-stage persona and as their off-stage self.
The show features a range of subjects familiar to regulars on the London scene, including Bourgeois & Maurice, Cheryl Dole, David Hoyle, Fabulous Russella, Fagulous, Gateau Chocolat, Ginger Johnson, Holestar, Jacqui Potato, Jonny Woo, Lavinia Co-op, A Man to Pet, Myra Dubois, Scottee, Sharon Husbands, Titus Groan and Vanity Von Glow.
Ahead of the opening of Transformations, I caught up with Holly to find out more about the project.
LAVINIA CO-OP / VINCENT in the Transformations series (image © Holly Revell)
There are quite a few exhibitions of drag-related photography these days (praise the Lord), online and in gallery spaces. What do you think sets yours apart?
Holly Revell: There are a lot of beautiful, bright images of drag artists which are wonderful to look at but only touch the surface. With my project, Transformations, I still wanted to make beautiful images but it was important to get beneath those glossy exteriors and reveal another side of drag and the traces it leaves behind…
How did you get involved in the drag and queer performance scene?
HR: I had been doing photographic installations such as my DARKROOM on the London club scene for some time, working alongside drag acts and other weirdos at events such as Act Art, and the one thing I never wanted to do was photograph other people’s art! But when I approached Scottee with an idea for a photo-booth project, he wanted documentation of his work and, as a big fan of his, I saw this as an exciting venture. This led to my personal work becoming more and more about drag and the people I meet.
Spending time backstage, I saw what goes into the making of live performance and what it can take out of an artist. I was amazed at how quickly many wanted to be rid of the drag at the end of the night, having spent hours lovingly applying it at the start. That’s where the seeds for this project grew, actually!
SHARON HUSBANDS / JUSTIN in the Transformations series (image © Holly Revell)
Transformations captures both the on-stage persona and the real-life person behind the performance. What does that let us see that other images leave out?
HR: I hope that they reveal some essence of post-performance emotion and fatigue – layers. They also show the relationships between the artists and their characters. For example, Julie Hole posed on her phone doing the business for her fabulous Holestar, and Jonny Woo created a kind of drag ghost.
I was surprised at how responsive most of the people I asked to take part were, and how much they allowed me into their worlds and to create these images showing their non-drag selves. What the images are most definitely not, though, is a before-and-after.
These images are single long exposures of around five to 10 minutes. How much of a technical challenge is that?
HR: Yes – and we only got one go as the make-up is all removed in shot! I have experimented a lot with long-exposure image-making so I was confident with the technique. However, when you add six-inch high heels and a big wig, standing still for the exposure time was certainly a challenge! You never know if the image will come out. It is magic and something I find so exciting with photography!
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from all this time you’ve spent photographing drag acts?
HR: Never shoot from below! But seriously, it’s all about respect and not looking for a spectacle. Getting to know and understand the artists before getting close with the camera – just as with any form of portraiture.
Transformations runs in two venues. Some portraits are on display at LimeWharf, Vyner Street, London E2 9DJ, from March 9 to April 1 2016 (11am-5pm, Wed-Fri), with opening party and performances on March 9 (6pm-9pm). Other portraits are on display at the Glory, 281 Kingsland Road, E2 8AS, from March 7 to 19, with special viewing event on March 14 (7pm-9pm), including video work and interview with Justin Hunt (aka Sharon Husbands). Portraits will be on sale, priced around £100-£600. Holly Revell’s website is here.
