Queer nightlife in San Francisco renews itself constantly, forever drawing stunned and watchful admirers with its untamed aesthetic — by turns flashy, fly-by-night, and facetious. How appropriate, then, that each unpredictable wave of creativity attracts its own generation of documentarians determined to preserve our teetering theatrical treasures. Molly DeCoudreaux does just that with a new exhibit of photographs titled "The Creatives." Her portraits capture the forceful personalities, wild clotheshorses, and disco pranksters who drive the dance floors and drag shows of San Francisco’s tender gay underbelly. The party people that bring the likes of Tiara Sensation, Chilidog, and Mall Madness to life appear in moments of color-saturated repose, sometimes staged to comic effect, always arranged with an eye for arresting compositions. DeCoudreaux has exhibited her work in solo and group shows around the city for several years, bringing nightlife tableaux and clear-eyed portraiture to venues such as Femina Potens, Gray Area Gallery, and the Lexington Club. Her newest exhibit promises an intimate peep-show of nightlife personae at rest. The artist reception demands a visit; the work is only on view by appointment after the opening.
June 20-July 10, 2009
