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OF VISUAL ARTIST JOÃO DELFIM
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Rearrange All the Cosmos: Homoeroticism, Merely a Motive in Art? emerges as a homage to two works of art, released one-hundred years apart from each other, both censored due to their homoerotic subtext, both having become relevant in Queer Modern and Contemporary culture: worldly-acclaimed novel The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, and 1998 feature film 54 starring Ryan Phillippe, directed by Mark Christopher.
While it’s clear that, in both cases, censorship heavily erased essential parts of the artwork's concepts, it still was not able to wipe out every trace of homoeroticism, and thankfully so. There’s a fascinating beauty in how, both in The Picture of Dorian Gray and 54, gay erotica seems to find a way to remain intact between the lines of the remastered content. As a force of nature, homoeroticism seems to overgrow and discreetly but firmly regain the heavily built up walls of censorship.
While it’s clear that, in both cases, censorship heavily erased essential parts of the artwork's concepts, it still was not able to wipe out every trace of homoeroticism, and thankfully so. There’s a fascinating beauty in how, both in The Picture of Dorian Gray and 54, gay erotica seems to find a way to remain intact between the lines of the remastered content. As a force of nature, homoeroticism seems to overgrow and discreetly but firmly regain the heavily built up walls of censorship.
As part of this homage, I had the incredible opportunity to get in touch with Mark Christopher, 54’s director and creator, and interview him about his movie’s journey. We were able to discuss the specifics of how a movie can be severely undermined by its producer, the power of homoerotic imagery, as well as the inspiration behind the main character, portrayed by Ryan Phillippe. « I came up with this idea to turn Ryan into a God. I wanted to turn him into the statue of David. » Mark told me.
The interview is followed by series of collages created from screen captures of 54: Director’s Cut, magnifying some of the unveiled scenes of a work of art that has only very recently got to speak its original truth.
Rearrange All the Cosmos is the final — and central — piece in a collection of self-published zines I’ve worked on for over a year. I conceived it as a celebration of Queerness and identity, for I believe we are braver and wiser when we come together to celebrate our uniqueness.
The interview is followed by series of collages created from screen captures of 54: Director’s Cut, magnifying some of the unveiled scenes of a work of art that has only very recently got to speak its original truth.
Rearrange All the Cosmos is the final — and central — piece in a collection of self-published zines I’ve worked on for over a year. I conceived it as a celebration of Queerness and identity, for I believe we are braver and wiser when we come together to celebrate our uniqueness.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR VISIT
ALL ARTWORKS ARE ORIGINAL CREATIONS.
© 2024 JOÃO DELFIM. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
ALL ARTWORKS ARE ORIGINAL CREATIONS.
© 2024 JOÃO DELFIM. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.