The gallery is hosting the Huntington-Surrey School Senior Exhibit this month through the end of May. The title of the exhibit is Junetopia: An Exercise in Restraint. The opening reception will be on Saturday, May 6th from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. in the The Sharon and Brian Moore Alternative Space Gallery. Artist, June Gormin will begin speaking at 7 p.m.
Junetopia is an exploration of a young person’s experience on the twining paths of living as a trans woman and a recovering addict. June uses documents from her time in rehab as reference, consulting illustrations that she drew while going through withdrawals. She reconstructs these ideas to create larger-than-life illustrations to reflect the feeling of isolation and addiction.
Artist, June Gormin, at the Texas State Capitol protest, opposing the passing of Senate Bill 14. A bill banning
access to transition-related medical treatments for transgender youth. Photo by Reverend Erin Walter
This has resulted in powerful imagery, such as the highly textured and haunting “Childhood Bedroom.” Each piece is an exploration of artistic process and brutal inner honesty. June is not afraid of any medium: she has experimented with sand, salt, gesso, broken glass, burnt objects, pastel, spray paint, fabric, pig’s blood, fake blood, paper mache, bleach, cleaning vinegar, styrofoam, and acrylic paint to transfer her experiences into visceral works of art for the viewer. She was influenced and inspired by the body horror work of artists such as Francis Bacon for her piece, “Self-Mutilation”, which explores themes of femininity and body manipulation in relation to transitioning, while simultaneously addressing the political landscape and attitudes towards transgender people in recent years. June is also including a series of her stark photographic artworks highlighting her experiences as a trans teenager, based in raw portraiture of friends and those in the subculture.
