Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Inarguably Uncertian: The 41st Annual UC Berkeley Master of Fine Arts Graduate Exhibition

My graduate thesis show is nearing its grand opening! Which means I'm about to graduate and I have a fresh new video project to share with the world! Liberaceón, a three-channel video installation with a 16 minute narrative at its center wherein I perform as the late great showman himself, Liberace! For those of you who don't know, I have been working on this for the greater part of my last year in the UC Berkeley MFA program and it is a story very dear to my heart. In this project, I rescript portions of the late showman's biography in order to insert him into a queer history of radical AIDS/HIV activism, but that's all I'm going to say (for now). You must see it to believe it, and believe me, the story I weave is unbelievable. I invite you to attend the opening (May 20th), as well as the artist talks (May 22th) to see for yourself!

Liberaceón video still (2011, 16 minutes)

Also on exhibit are the works of my six other amazing, brilliant, talented, and supportive classmates: Corinna Nicole Brewer, Chun-Shan (Sandie) Yi, Narangkar Glover, Plinio Alberto Hernandez, Merav Tzur, and David Gregory Wallace. Come meet 'em!
  
I'm also tickled pink to be named someone to "watch for" in this Bay Citizen blog post by Aimee Le Duc, An Art Lover's Survival Guide to Student Exhibition Season. Thanks, Aimee. Who knew!

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Opening Reception
Friday, May 20th, 2011, 5:30-7:30pm
May 20, 2011 - June 26, 2011
Berkeley Art Museum, Museum Lobby
2626 Bancroft Way
Berkeley, CA 94720


Sunday, May 22, 2011, 3pm
Artists' Talks
Berkeley Art Museum, Gallery 6
2626 Bancroft Way
Berkeley, CA 94720

2 comments:

donmelvin said...

You are a genius! Your video is one of the best pieces of art I've seen in a long long time. But how can we see Liberaceón if we can't make it these exhibitions? I wanted to share it with some East Coast friends that I know would appreciate it mightily. --A Grateful Viewer

Chris E. Vargas said...

Thanks so much for this message! At the moment, I have no plans to screen Liberaceón on the East Coast but that's not to say I won't sometime soon. Stay posted, I'm sure it'll happen either that or I'll post the video online. XOXOX