“if it feels oppressive — kick against it”, 11x14”, ink on panel, 2022.
Title is a reference to the musician Arca and the painting’s subject was inspired by Amanda St. Jaymes in the documentary Screaming Queens by Susan Stryker, about the riot at Compton’s Cafeteria.
“Turk street was our street, and the buildings that were on it, the hotels, that’s where we lived; that was our home… The El Rosa was really like a wayward home for girls. There were so many of us that were there; our families had disowned us… It was a wonderful place. We spent the holidays together there. We became each others family. We held on to each other.” — Amanda St. Jaymes
Willie Nelson with the Supersuckers, featuring Tenderloin’s Ernie Locke. This was from an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno from way back in 1996. For whatever reason, tribute albums became a big deal and one was released of mostly younger acts covering Willie Nelson classics. It’s called Twisted Willie and it’s worth checking out if you’re a fan of any of the bands or the unique something Willie Nelson brings to American music, regardless of who’s playing the song.