‘La Vie en Pose’: Performing and Posing on Social Media
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Game of Thrones
After 8 years and 72 episodes, across 9 families, 7 kingdoms and 2 dragon deaths, it all comes down to 2 Targaryens. On Sunday, I shall fight for my throne and tiara.
The collection is curated according to themes — performing women, strong women, enduring couples, social-political commentaries, and more. In one section the artist enacts scenes from imagined dramas that take place in the Taj Mahal, the Parthenon, Angkor Wat and the Topkapi Palace in Turkey. In another, he commemorates historical icons that include Queen Elizabeth, Kamala Harris, and Harriet Tubman. Another section celebrates contemporary actors such Olivia Coleman in The Favourite, and Renee Zellweger in Judy.
Judy Garland Triptych
2020 Oscar® Best Actress Renee Zellweger in Judy. A performance of a performance of a performance. An impersonation of an impersonation. Who wore it best? Who sang it best? Who performed it best?
Short reflections from academics, writers, and relevant politicians on cross-dressing and drag performances add cultural and historical context to the visual spread.
Michael Gil Magnaye, is a philanthropy professional at an international NGO. Prior to that, he taught Art Studies at the University of the Philippines and directed award-winning documentaries, which were screened and broadcast in film festivals worldwide.
Born in Davao City, Philippines, he is a graduate of the University of the Philippines and Stanford University.
The following is an excerpt from the artist’s opening essay “Framing a Fantasy.”
In 2006, Filipino friends in the Bay Area started The Culinaristas, a dining club whose members sampled new restaurants and hosted themed potluck dinners at their homes. In 2013, we took it up a notch with costumed dinners. At one gathering, we cosplayed characters from Jose Rizal's Noli Me Tangere. I came as Doña Victorina, the garish, social-climbing Filipina who believes marrying a Spaniard will gain her entry into Ilustrado society. I posted photos of myself in full costume on social media that year, and a character and an idea were born.
Donya Vicky in SF
On Halloween during COVID, Doña Victorina makes her annual appearance on earth. In the year of a global lockdown, she descends on a deserted downtown San Francisco, unable to find a man, thus diminishing her chances of finding a groom.
Over the next decade, I fell into the habit of fashioning the right pose within a suitable frame to document my travels and cultural, political, and social milestones that presented themselves. Facebook and Instagram became my twin arenas, inspiring me to sashay onto those social media platforms in platform heels.
Each portrait in this book comes with its own story, and each one has its own production journey. Some photos were taken in more private settings, such as our living room in San Francisco or a deserted beach in Perth, making more controlled and meticulous setups possible. Scenes staged in a foreign city or exotic location proved more hectic, for they involved navigating around crowds or rapidly changing weather. At The Plantation Home in Savannah, Georgia we were confronted by administrative staff; at the Parthenon in Greece, security guards chased us away.
Greece
Fake crown from tourist kiosk... 5 Euros.
Bed sheet borrowed from hotel... free.
Look of amused tourists upon meeting Aristotle (Athena?) in person... priceless.
Rhett and Scarlett in Plantation
Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler welcome you to Tara.
Some photoshoots happened spontaneously and did not require much costume, if at all, as in the case of The U.P. Oblation or the improvised Mary Magdalene at a desert art installation. Even when traveling on business without plans for a shoot, I sometimes found last minute inspiration stumbling upon a fabulous piece of garment, such as the Ottoman robe I purchased at the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul.
UP Oblation in Mexico
The US Military has been testing its missiles at the White Sand Missile Range in New Mexico since the 1940s. Today, The Oblation surrenders to this desert, promoting world peace. Nagbomba para sa mga bomba (going "bombshell" for the bombardiers).
Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene crashes the Last Supper and attempts to find a seat at a table
There were moments when I had to organize a photoshoot within days after the death of prominent female politicians, heroines, or divas. I would rush to my regular fashion and accessory purveyors – Goodwill, DAISO, Dollar Store, or Amazon online –to procure the right blouse, pumps, headdress, wig, or jewelry. Dame Diana Rigg, Tina Turner, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, or Queen Elizabeth II merited the effort.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
A tribute to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg who passed away on September 20, 2020. To be fair, I could never do her justice.
This book is born at a fraught moment in gender politics. Some states in the U.S. have passed legislation that attacks transgender youth for their chosen wardrobe or preferred pronouns. A drag artist in the Philippines has been jailed for performing an irreverent dance interpretation of a Catholic hymn. Such adverse events seem to suggest that cross-dressing is an act of subversion.
Barbie
Menopausal Barbie — Barbie’s mother (née Barbarella Baluyot) dreams outside the box.
I would argue that cross-dressing and mimicry are strategies that drag queens, drag kings, non-binary performers, and gender benders employ to resist, challenge, navigate, and extricate themselves from systems imposed by traditional constructs. It’s also a lot of fun.
“In one section the artist enacts scenes from imagined dramas that take place in the Taj Mahal, the Parthenon, Angkor Wat and the Topkapi Palace in Turkey.”
And thus, I celebrate my 60 multi-faceted and multi-faced years on this Earth with an album of my favorite photoshoots. Consider it a portal – a roadmap, perhaps? – to exploring your own flights of fancy and fantasy.
After all, glamor knows no gender.
To purchase a copy, visit www.LaVieEnPoseBook.com.
The Carlos Bulosan Book Club will host a book author signing event of La Vie En Pose on Saturday March 16, 2024 at the Los Angeles Public Library, Echo Park Branch, 1410 W Temple Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026. Free and open to the public. Registration at https://bit.ly/RSVPforCBBCEvents.
