"I am at heart, a gentleman (Marlene Dietrich)” 2015
Bettina Hubby’s photo collages take images from the golden age of Hollywood as their starting point, reconfiguring black and white photographs from Paramount’s heyday in the 20’s, 30’s and 40’s to create physical forms that redefine their own boundaries while offering insight into the communal and individual construction of identity, the power embedded in play, and the play of power. Hubby’s presentation will include both framed original works, and large-scale vinyl decals mounted directly to the walls. Titling the series, “Come Up and See Me Sometime,”
Hubby states of the work “I used Mae West as the muse for the work due to her sharp wit, bawdy honesty, and bombastic glamor. All of the works are titled with quotes by the famous female stars of Paramount’s screen. By using hair-do upon hair-do and suit upon gown I created ‘glamorousities', or ‘glamonsters' that resonate to me, the fixings, the facade, but also the allure and dreaminess of fame. Its about the 'gown' of fame that seems so effortlessly draped on these seemingly blemishless beings and the siren song of that era that is photographically and filmicly preserved, but can never be relived. They are also about the strong females that fought for their place in the male dominated 'producership' of their time, the suits that backed the stars and the handshakes that sealed the deals.”
Figures expanding upon the walls invite viewers into recognition of the history of the studio, while Hubby also forefronts the way in which cultural and artistic production is a constant interplay between presence and nostalgia. Beautiful, menacing, and humorous, the pieces expand upon the language of her applauded exhibition at Klowden Mann in 2013, building upon her consistent ability to simultaneously support, engage with, and challenge the conventions of the exhibition setting.
~Deb Klowden Mann
