Art Is A Drag

On stage you might have heard of Dame Edna, Eddie Izzard, or maybe you have seen an actual drag show at a bar. Perhaps you’re a fan of David Bowie or Boy George who many times had a drag influenced look on stage while performing to sold out crowds.

Among some popular names of Female impersonators (on the gay male becoming a woman side) would be DIVINE, Rupaul, and locally to Columbus, Ohio area Nina and Virginia West.

Nina West of Columbus (in foreground)
performs on Drag Day at the Wexner
Center for the Arts

Virginia West of Columbus performs on Drag Day at the Wexner Center for the Arts

Let's go to a fun time period, the 80’s, where you might have found some of the above named people. Here we run into a fascinating time of POP art where club kids ruled the streets. They often took the chance to dress up and be a different person or character every night, being careful never to be caught in the same outfit more than one time. This was referenced in the 2003 movie Party Monster, and the novel in which the movie is based on Disco Bloodbath, by James St. James. At this time, for a boy or girl, it most likely didn't matter what gender clothes you were wearing as long as it was trendy.