About the Work
Detox depicts a drag queen in a space-age get-up on a dilapidated sidewalk in Los Angeles. In her right hand, she holds a plastic figurine of Hulk Hogan on a string, adding an element of butch to the bright, bubble-gum pink of the queen’s hair, lips, and dress. On the right, Kost, always the invisible voyeur, appears as a reflection in the window of the storefront, his face obscured by the flash of his camera. Although the image is taken in daylight, the title seems to suggest that the figure (and Kost himself) is coming down from a long, charged night.
Detox is an image from Kost’s series Boulevard of Broken Dreams, which depicts the underbelly of Hollywood Boulevard, a location littered with strip malls and porn shops that belie the street name’s association with glamour and stardom.
About the Artist
Jeremy Kost is a tireless chronicler of gender, sexuality, and nightlife, and has pioneered virtuosic ways to present Polaroid snapshots. Drawing his inspiration from the celebrity nightlife scene, Kost uses his instant film camera to capture the glamour—and the inherent striving—of a downtown scene full of fashion insiders, chic club kids, and flamboyant drag queens, with an eye attuned to uneven luminosity and raw beauty. A self-described “fat kid from Texas,” the star transformed his image while living in Washington, DC, from 1999–2003, where he instituted a rigorous workout routine, in part motivated by his fascination with the beautiful bodies of the gay nightclub scene. On subsequent trips to New York, he slowly ingratiated himself with a well-connected, exclusive crowd who allowed him to photograph them intimately, but without pretense. The resulting images, frequently displayed in grids or collages, are reminiscent of works by Nan Goldin and Mark Morrisroe, but they most closely resemble the photographs taken by Andy Warhol in the 1970s.
Artspace Edition
Description
Color photograph made with archival pigments on fine art rag paper.Authentication
Includes a Certificate of Authenticity and an artist signed label on verso.Dimensions
This work is printed full bleed as dictated by the artist.Shipping
Unframed works ship in 7–10 business days.Framed works ship in 10–14 business days.