FUCK RAINBOW IMPERIALISM

Photography By Exum

New York City photographer Exum opens up about photographing subjects from the LGBTQIA+ community, the Strange Loop Gallery in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, and finding quiet beauty in chaos.

New York City, USA

How did you begin your photography journey?

Shooting only black and white 35mm film, I was inspired by the look of Tintypes and glass plates negatives from the late 1800’s.

What have you learned along the way?

That what inspires me photographically and aesthetically is how people choose too adorn themselves to express themselves.

How would you describe your style? What makes it unique?

Punk rock renaissance candid portraiture.

I believe it is how I look for the quiet beauty within the chaos.

Tell the story behind one of your favorite images….

“Fuck Rainbow Imperialism Smash The Patriarchy” from the NYC Dyke protest march

really captures that decisive moment for me.

Many of your subjects are people from the LGBTQIA+ community. Why is this important? How does the community inspire your creativity?

I am queer, nonbinary and portraying my friends, performers, artist, musicians, models is not an exclusive LGBTQIA+ creative focus but an organic one.

I am inspired politically and artfully and when we protest we look fabulous.

You co-founded Strange Loop Gallery, located in Manhattan's Lower East Side, with fashion and costume designer Claire Fleury. How did the gallery come to life? What kind of art did Strange Loop Gallery focus on? Why was it important for the LGBTQIA+ community in New York City?

Claire Fleury needed a visa and wrote a plan for a living art, fashion, and performance gallery and asked me to be the curator. Strange Loop showed mostly emerging artists in themed exhibits that were a mix of photography, mixed media, video, performance art and fashion. We thought it was important to have a place to show work, to collaborate as well and to meet other artists, without having necessarily the label of it being LGBTQ+ .