keep painting — Alexander Prestia

This collection is entitled “Keep Painting” and was created especially for the 2022 Tallinn Bearty festival - an LGBTQ+ festival in Tallinn, Estonia (April 16 - April 21, 2022). “Keep Painting” is about the journey of finding connectedness that LGBTQ+ folks experience. There are 16 paintings in total – all oil on canvas. To complete these works, I held a series of interviews over the course of 2020-2021 with over 20 LGBTQ+ folks of diverse backgrounds on the topics of Community, Acceptance, Love, and Empowerment. I spoke with LGBTQ+ Community Organizers, Small Business Owners, Drag Queens, Trans Folx, Bears, Allies, BIPOC Community Members, Artists, and Nightlife Promoters and Performers. This work began just before the COVID-19 pandemic began and continued via Zoom and phone interviews. During these interviews while each person spoke, I took notes on the colors, images, and themes that occurred to me as I listened. I used their stories as inspiration to weave together their intersections and to amplify their distinctions. Each image is its own story that also holds together the threads of the others. Part of the journey “Keep Painting” explores is the transition from feeling ‘unfinished’ or ‘incomplete’ towards a lifelong feeling of joy in self-discovery and growth. “Keep Painting” is about creating community as much as it is about finding community.

Give It Some Time

Give It Some Time

Stage Fright

Signal

Thirsty Has The Legs

Thirsty Has The Legs

Allies

Fuck Me Pumps

We Are Everywhere

We Are Everywhere

Building

Rope Burn

Two Lesbians in the Woods Holding Shit Together

Two Lesbians in the Woods Holding Shit Together

Courage (for John)

Courage (for John)

Alleys

Not Waiting

Dedication

Showing Up

Keep Painting

Give It Some Time

Give It Some Time30”x30” Oil on Canvas

Stage Fright

Stage Fright40”x30” Oil on Canvas

Signal

Signal30”x30” Oil on Canvas

Thirsty Has The Legs

Thirsty Has The Legs30”x30” Oil on Canvas

Allies

Allies30”x30” Oil on Canvas

Fuck Me Pumps

Fuck Me Pumps30”x40” Oil on Canvas

We Are Everywhere

We Are Everywhere30”x30” Oil on Canvas

Building

Building30”x30” Oil on Canvas

Rope Burn

Rope Burn30”x30” Oil on Canvas

Two Lesbians in the Woods Holding Shit Together

Two Lesbians in the Woods Holding Shit Together30”x30” Oil on Canvas

Courage (for John)

Courage (for John)30”x30” Oil on Canvas

Alleys

Alleys30”x30” Oil on Canvas

Not Waiting

Not Waiting30”x30” Oil on Canvas

Dedication

Dedication30”x40” Oil on Canvas

Showing Up

Showing Up30”x30” Oil on Canvas

Keep Painting

Keep Painting30”x40” Oil on Canvas

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