Acrylics on “CAMP”

The Art Academy of Cincinnati is pleased to present Acrylics on “CAMP,” an exhibition by AAC alum (class of 2017) and Instructor Kyle Angel (www.kyleangel.com). 

About the Artist: Kyle Angel (he/him/his) is an adjunct instructor at UC DAAP in the School of Art and the School of Design, as well as the Art Academy of Cincinnati. He is an interdisciplinary artist constantly reimagining his identity through fabulously zany ways. Through the art of drag and performance, Angel transforms himself into a playful and quirky persona named Crystal Tubes (she/her/they/them)—to question/defy limitations around queerness and gender expression. Working with textiles, fashion, video, sound, installation, illustration, and text allows him to create a utopia and bring his persona to life!

Artist’s Statement About the Exhibition:

Acrylics on “CAMP” is a collection of 58 pairs of fabulous fashion gloves—fully embellished and bejeweled. Each pair was created in response to one of the 58 items in Susan Sontag’s 1964 essay Notes on “Camp”. Throughout her notes, she attempts to explain the unexplainable (“camp”) and reminds us not to always take everything so seriously. During a time when drag is constantly being met with fear and disdain, I look towards Sontag’s writing to remind myself of the artistry, expression, and playfulness that originally made me fall in love with drag! Accompanying the gloves is a video piece of my performance persona, Crystal Tubes (she/her/they/them), trying on every pair of gloves as she reads from the essay. Listen to them closely and find yourself lost in the wonderous world of Camp!

“…the connoisseur of Camp sniffs the stink and prides himself on his strong nerves”

—Susan Sontag