ARTISTGENEVIEVEGAIGNARDFIGHTS

CLICHEWITHHUMORM I C H A E L S L E N S K E

A V A I L A B L E E X C L U S I V E L Y O N C U L T U R E D M A G . C O M , A R T I S T G E N E V I E V E G A I G N A R D ' S A F T E R G L O W , 2 0 1 7 , A N E D I T I O N O F F I V E ( P L U S 2

A R T I S T P R O O F S ) C - P R I N T S .

ShortlyafterarrivinginLosAngelesinOctoberof2014—hotoffherMFAinphotographyfromYale,andsomeyearsminingtheconceptualterrainsofDianeArbus,LeighLedareand,CindySherman(albeitinamuchcampierfashion)—Massachusetts-bornartistGenevieveGaignardmadeherCaliforniasolodebutatTheCabinLA,anartist-runspaceinHancockParkmeanttolookliketheUnabomber’shovel.ItwastheresheunveiledawhollyGaignardianvisuallanguagewithaseriesofdomesticcollagesmergingphotocopiedwallpapersandreclaimedsextingselfiesalongsideadozenvampedupportraitsactingoutvariousHollywoodstereotypes—fromaperoxidestarletsippingchampagnebyapalatialpooltoadivandivadonningablackbustier—aswellasafewEastCoastcharacterssheshotwhilestillingradschool.

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“WhenIthinkbacktotheearlystuffit’saboutbeinginanewplaceandtryingtofitinand,forme,myconcernsofbeingamixedracewomanarealwaysfeelinglike,‘WheredoIfitin?’”saysGaignarddressedcasuallyinjeansandamilitarycoat,withhergingercurlspulledbackinabun,seatedinsidetheModernistHollywoodofficeofherprimarydealerShulamitNazarian.“Thesecharactersareonthatjourneyaswell.Sometimestheyfindtheirspotandothertimesthey’reteeteringonthislineof‘Whyisthispersoninthissetting?’”Inearly2015,Gaignardraisedthebarwithanacclaimedsoloouting,“UsOnly,”atNazarian’sVenicespace.Shefilledthegallerywithasuiteofmetaphoricallycharged,sometimesneon-litvignettes(referencingeverythingfromJohnWaters’sHairspraytoHarmonyKorine’sGummo)withhyperbolicselfiesofthreecharactertypes—TheAfroPunk,TheCatLadyandTheHairHopper—hunginfoundframesembeddedintodiaristiccornerinstallationschockfullofthepsychologicallyfraughtobjectsthatdefinedherchildhood(thinkpinkmoonboots,porcelainfelineandMammyfigurinesorArethaFranklin’sYoung,GiftedandBlackalbum),muchofwhichwassourcedfromorbyherantiquingmother.“Mymomhadablackhistorycollectioninourhouse,”saysGaignard.“Itwasawhitewomantryingtoteachhermixedracechildrenabouttheirculture.”WhileGaignardandherthreebrotherswereundertheassumptionthattheywere“nottomesswith”thisancestraltroveitprovidedamaterialfoundation(inadditiontorecords,posters,orCabbagePatchandMCHammerdollsfromherchildhoodbedroom)for“SmelltheRoses,”theartist’sdeeplypersonalandpoliticalfall2016soloshowattheCaliforniaAfricanAmericanMuseum.ThereGaignardmanagedtotacklelossesnear(thedeathofheryoungnieceinahousefire)andfar(therashofpoliceshootingsacrossthecountry)viathrowbackselfiesshotbetweenthepolesofherfamilyroots(inNewEnglandandNewOrleans)andL.A.;arenditionofDianaRoss’sMissing Youmashedupwithradiochatterfrompoliceshootings(transferringthemourningfromMarvinGayetoTrayvon

Martinandthemultitudeofpoliceshootingvictims);andimmersiveinstallationsofaNewOrleansshotgunhouse(tohonorthevictimsofHurricaneKatrina)andaNewEnglandvernacularhomeevokingherlateniece’sbedroomanchoredwithnumerousassemblagesculptures.“PresentingherworkfeltlikeanimportantstepforCAAMbecausethequestionofraceisforegroundedandthrownbackatthespectatorand,indoingso,itbecomesexactlythat:aprovocativequestionratherthananempiricalfact,”saysNaimaKeith,themuseum’sdeputydirectorofexhibitionsandprograms.“Ilikedthefactthatherworktakesaprogressivestancetowardsexaminingrace.”

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WhilewalkingthroughNazarian’snewHollywoodspace,wheretheartistwillopen“ThePowderRoom,”hersecondsoloexhibitionwiththegallerytheSaturdaybeforeEaster,Gaignardinsists,“Iwantedthisshowtobealittlemorelighthearted.Maybeit’saboutmovingonbutnotforgetting.”ThisthroughthelookingglassworkpicksupwhereGaignardleftoff:thetitularself-portraitfromherCAAMshowfeaturinga“churchlady”characterdressedinherSunday’sbest,headbowedwiththebrimofherhatshadingherface.ForGaignard,The Line Upseries—silhouettedimagesofherselfwearinghatsshe’scollectedovertheyearsplayingvariouschurchladiesagainstmonochromeL.A.wallswaitinginformation(aBeyoncéreference)beforeenteringahouseofworship—isalsoanodtothehipOneChurchInternationalnextdoortothegallery,whichQueenBeyisrumoredtofrequent. “MydadgrewupsuperCatholicinNewOrleansandmymom’sfatherwasapastorinMaine,”saysGaignard.“I’mnotnecessarilydrawntothatasmyreligion,it’smoreapopculturereference.IalsothoughtofblackfolksprayingtoawhiteJesus,whichisaverystrangethingifyouchipawayatit.”Thelatterreferencefiltersthroughouttheshow,mostnotablyinanimagetakeninthebathtubinsidethedisco-erasteamroomoftheapartmentabovethegallery.Whilethemiseensceneseemsfamiliar,hernewportraitsaregettingmoreenvironmentalwhileleavingtheinstallationenvironmentbehind.Intheprocess,thehistoricalreferencesarelessobvious,butmorerewarding:she’smakingtheviewerworkalittleharder,orresigntosimplyappreciatingthesplendorofhercomplextableaux.Meanwhile,she’sfurtherblurringthelinesofher“passing”viashootsinneighborhoodsaroundL.A.thatreadmorelikeanodyneHollywoodsets(devoidofracialsignifiers)whilewearingwigsthataremarketedforblackwomenandpurchasedinpredominantlyblackneighborhoods.She’salsopushingtheboundariesofgenderidentityviamaximalistmakeupapplicationsandmashupporcelainsculpturesofheadsfrommammydollsgraftedontothebodiesofwhitefigurinestransformingtheblackfigureinto“theSouthernBelleshedeservestobe.”She’sevencreatingalargewallinstallationhewnfromhandmirrors.

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“IwasholdingahandmirrorinmystudioafewmonthsbackandIhadthisthought‘Wow,thisistheoriginalselfie,’”saysGaignard,whoconsidersherportraitsanodtoselfiecultureatlarge.It’sintriguingthen,thatoneofhermostprobingmeditationsonthistopic,whichweexamineonalaptopinthegallery,didn’tmaketheshow.Intheimage,Gaignardplaysapink-wiggedDivine-likecharactergazingintohercellphone,seeminglytrappedinsideaModernistglasshouseintheSanFernandoValley.“Isthatmelookingoutattheviewer?”sheasks,“Orarewealljustlookinginonthisperson,puttingourownstoryontothem?”