Greer Lankton Retrospective Debuts At ONE Archives Los Angeles

Greer Lankton's ability to transcend presupposed roles of gender and sexuality within art has had resounding affects on a later generation of artists. Though her name may be lost in the pool of Andy Warhol's and Keith Harring's, the sensations attributed to Greer Lankton's work is as equally unique as it is disturbing. Paul Monroe says, "Currently there is a new generation of artists who are finding inspiration in Greer Lankton's work -- as much for its individual statement as for the finely handcrafted expression -- most notable is Zackary Drucker."

The showcase will exhibit photographs, illustrations and over twenty-five of Lankton's startlingly grotesque doll-like sculptures. Furthermore, Lankton's personal ephemera and photographs of herself alongside Paul Monroe taken by Nan Goldin will be displayed. As Nan Goldin so poignantly noted, "The consuming theme of her life and work was sexuality and gender, in all their mutable permutations. Greer created magical kingdoms...in bringing her dolls to life, Greer worked through her own traumas."

Assisting with the curatorial effort are Bud Thomas and David Evans Frantz from ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives. Thomas, who is an artist by night and administrative office specialist by day, details that the intended audience for Greer Lankton: You Can't Throw It Away is, "any art lover in or out of the LGBTQ community. Greer's work speaks to a large audience and we are lucky to be able to have this show here is Los Angeles." With the art opening in the hub of West Hollywood, the exhibit will surely attract a diverse crowd ranging from Candy Darling fanatics to early '20s art enthusiasts who recently discovered the transgender art scene.

Greer Lankton: You Can't Throw It Away leads into Cruising the Archive: Queer Art & Culture 1945-1980, debuting later this year. Frantz, curator of the exhibit, notes, "As the curator of Cruising the Archive, I have never presumed the audience to be exclusively queer. I am coming from an art historical background, and the exhibition has been organized as primarily an art exhibition about art and queer culture in Los Angeles. I hope that Cruising the Archive will be inviting/interesting/possibly provocative to all visitors." The same can be said of The Greer Lankton exhibit, as the confrontational nature of the art transcends sexuality, gender and age.

The exhibition is made part by individual donations and Paul Monroe's ongoing journey of immortalizing the late Greer Lankton, "This exhibition is part of Paul's large project G.L.A.M. (the Greer Lankton Archives Museum) which has been set up to organize exhibitions of Lankton's work as well as a forthcoming catalogue. G.L.A.M. has provided special support for this exhibition at ONE Archives Gallery & Museum." Greer Lankton: You Can't Throw It Away confronts celebrity artifice and personal sentiment in an overtly honest manner, placing new meaning on what it means to be queer, to be transgender, and to be alive.

For more information of Greer Lankton: You Can't Throw It Away and ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, please visit: https://www.onearchives.org/

-- COURTNEY NICHOLS