ONE Archives Foundation presents “Pride Publics: Words and Actions,” a multi-site outdoor exhibition that examines the intersection between pride and publicness in partnership with the City of West Hollywood as part of One City One Pride. The official exhibit dates are from June 5 – July 1, 2021, but the installation is already up along Robertson Boulevard on the east side of the street at 686 N Robertson Boulevard (next the Abbey Food & Bar). The free and accessible outdoor installations also offers a digital guide. It aims to give visibility to LGBTQ life in the public through the lens of history, community, and activism.
Photo by Paulo Murillo for WEHO TIMESPride Publics is curated by Rubén Esparza, a multidisciplinary artist, activist, and independent curator based in Los Angeles.
The exhibition continues the legacy of Robert Vazquez Pacheco’s propaganda making. Pacheco deployed Madison Avenue advertising strategies, installing posters and billboards to bring attention to dire issues concerning people of color. Pacheco contributed to the activist groups Gran Fury and ACT UP, grassroots originations that supported LGBTQ+ lives and people living with AIDS through direct action, advocacy and legislation.
The analog typewritten font used in the exhibition is inspired by Zoe Leonard’s “I Want a President” manifesto.
Photo by Paulo Murillo for WEHO TIMES
Photo by Paulo Murillo for WEHO TIMES“I partnered with the One Archives Foundation,” Esparza told WEHO TIMES. “We came up with the idea of marrying contemporary queer art with writers and movers and shakers and paired them with queer elders and how they’ve continued the lineage of activism and being artists and writers. We look at how they influenced a new generation of contemporary artists and queer folks. We have a mix of different races and genders. It’s kind of a nice mixup. We had over 100 entries. Right now we have 28. We’ll probably have 30. It will travel to Los Angeles in October, but this specific installation will stay up for all of June for Pride Month.”
Photo by Paulo Murillo for WEHO TIMES
Photo by Paulo Murillo for WEHO TIMESEsparza says the artists are welcome to come and add some graffiti to each of their panels.
“The idea is to work in black and white to break the wave of colorful noise and we’re adding a dash of hot pink to also break the monotony of black and white,” he added. “People are welcome to graffiti the art, but be respectful. The whole exhibit is a homage to street art.”
To learn more visit. https://www.onearchives.org/pridepublics/
Yet another feeble attempt to try to liven up Out on Robertson. Inviting the pubic to graffiti the art is not the best idea. I get that it’s supposed to be artistic, but people don’t know how to be respectful.
WOW❗ Some artwork in West Hollywood that we can participate in and, make political statements that really need to be made. What people should do is add their artwork to the posters, take a picture and, post it here in the comments to promote their work even further. Advertising having to compete with social justice statements, a serious reason to WeHo❗