Pink is Subversive
JD Raenbeau has submitted a wide range of work to us, all dealing with pink as a color related to identity, freedom, shame, and sensorship. As an artist and a teacher, JD Raenbeau uses his body, sourced imagery, and painting as an expression of queer culture through his own experiences in life and drag. Read on to hear more about how pink has an influence on this work from the artist himself.
I love Pink.
For me, it is a subversive color. It is a powerful color that I have reclaimed after years of shame and oppression.
The history of Pink is of interest to me, specifically in LBGTQ culture -- the history and reclamation of the pink triangle, the inclusion of pink in the trans flag, and the color's impact on gender association and reconstruction.
The Pink Pony is a recurring theme in my work. Our many holes and orifices are also apparent. These pink things, along with 18th century historical painting motifs, contemporary ideologies, kitsch, and commodity culture are employed in my artwork to tell real and imagined stories of my past, present, and future. My work challenges gender binaries, questions of transgression, and explores what it means to be abject.
To see more of JD Raenbeau's work, visit jdraenbeau.com or follow him on instagram @danpony