FRANK, an LGBTQIA+ collective of 11 artists, will debut their first group exhibition at Ansley Mall on September 14. (Photo courtesy of FRANK)
FRANK, a new collective of Atlanta-based LGBTQIA+ artists, will debut its first exhibition this weekend in Midtown. Occupying the former Phidippides Running Shoes storefront at Ansley Mall, the exhibition will feature works by the 11 founding members in Being FRANK: It Is Because I Am, which will debut from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday, September 14.
The collective’s mission is to bring artists together and present their works in a way that challenges societal norms — particularly those related to art, culture, politics, sexuality and gender. Nine of the founding members spoke with ArtsATL to lend insights into their practices and offer a sneak peek of the artists’ favorite works on view in this inaugural exhibition.
David Clifton-Strawn is a photographer who specializes in fine art portraiture through a contemporary, queer lens. He also serves as the executive director of the Atlanta Photography Group and has works included in the permanent collection of the Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia, as well as private collections. Clifton-Strawn also received the 2022-23 City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs Emerging Artist Award for his photography.
“One of my favorite pieces of the work I am showing in this exhibition is the close up of the face of drag artist oLvRatl. I love the colors and the joy and the unexpected touches and the way it speaks to one of the issues from the current culture wars and is completely unapologetic,” said Clifton-Strawn.
Yousef Bushehri is an artist who explores narrative stories told through built environments, mostly depicted in watercolors. Originally from Kuwait, today Bushehri teaches at Kennesaw State University and is a resident artist at Mudfire. He received a Ph.D. from Georgia Tech, where he focused on built environments’ effects on disability, aging and health.
“One of the pieces in the exhibition is a snapshot of a living room showing two people sitting on a couch. They are genderless; they are ageless; their sexuality isn’t clear. Their relationship is vague. They could be in a fight. They could be watching TV. Their political views aren’t specified. Their country of origin, or their legal status, their skin color, their primary language — none of these things are clear. We make so many assumptions about people — consciously or subconsciously, whether by our own past experience or by the media feeding us,” said Bushehri, who is interested in the preconceived notions the viewer might bring to these undefined figures and the inherent implications of their identities. “At the end of the day, they’re just a couple of people on the couch minding their business, so why are so many people talking about what happens in their home? This piece is a part of a series — a collection of snapshots of everyday life that asks the same questions and tries to show that people are just people. Queer people just want to exist.”
Clint Zeagler is a textile artist who works predominantly with fabric, natural dyes, knits and crafted natural paints and pigments. In his daily life, Zeagler works as a researcher and academic, and his artistic practice offers a welcome, hands-on respite from the technical aspects of his career. Through his works, he manifests and reacts to experiences of life as a gay man living in the American South.
“My favorite piece right now is also the largest piece I have made to date, conjuring a kraken of empathy spell. When I dyed the fabric in indigo, a Rorschach style lighter spot emerged that reminded me of power and hope lurking under the surface,” said Zeagler. “This is a general theme of my current body of work titled sea change, which is about gathering momentum and working toward a large tidal push in society that abstractly expresses itself through water horizons. This sense of coalescence is also manifested in my involvement in FRANK by building community and pulling together.”
Orion Crook is interested in the liminal spaces between psyche and form, which they explore through both their artistic practice as well as their work as a therapist. The Core’s Lure, Crook’s ongoing series, has been exhibited at local galleries including Echo Contemporary, MINT, Dalton Gallery and 7 Stages. Crook also founded the Therapeutic Artist’s Resource, a nonprofit that supports queer, transgender and activists through programming and resource-sharing.
“A longtime friend commissioned this piece, inspired by a photograph of me taken by our shared friend Royce Soble,” said Crook. “This tattoo of my first core painting transformed the way I inhabit this imaginal object at the center of my nervous system — it feels like a new organ has grown within me, a vessel to hold my savorings, catalyze capacity and anchor me when I’m dysregulated. In FRANK, each mirrored reflection in this series extends that inner resonance outward, inviting the viewer to trace the contours of their own inner landscapes and witness the alchemy of creatively reclaiming the trauma our bodies carry.”
Billy Clifton-Strawn, who works under the moniker Created in Pixels, is a digital and mixed-media visual artist based in Atlanta. His figurative abstract works are composed with photography, digital painting and thoughtful composition in such a way as to explore themes of queer visibility, identity and spirituality. He has been featured in exhibitions in Atlanta and beyond and was honored with the 2023-24 Emerging Artist Award from the City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs.
“Pentecoste is a 12 feet by 9 feet vibrant tapestry that radiates intensity and movement, evoking both fire and spirit. Cascading streaks of crimson, magenta and gold descend like flames, while turquoise and emerald tones surge upward, creating a powerful interplay of descent and ascent, earthly matter meeting transcendent energy. The composition feels alive, as if ignited from within, suggesting themes of transformation, renewal and the communal spark of inspiration associated with the biblical Pentecost,” said Clifton-Strawn. “I was inspired by the story of Pentecost, where spirit and fire descended to awaken unity and empowerment and vision, and I carried that flame into the language of color and texture and rhythm. I hope that its abstracted, fiery aura makes it both a visual and spiritual invocation, drawing the viewers into a space where color becomes prayer and energy becomes presence.”
Krista M. Jones, also known as JONESY, is a symbolist artist known for abstract, figurative paintings and vibrant patterned murals. Themes of freedom, shifting perspectives, life cycles and the relationship between inner and outer worlds often appear in her work. Ethereal and material, JONESY seeks to process the human experience through art.
“‘The Mystic North’ reimagined is a new, large-scale painting featured in this exhibit and part of my MESO series,” said JONESY. “In this body of work, I explore the space between micro and macro perspectives by magnifying and distilling elements from existing paintings. By shifting scale (zooming in and out), I can further abstract, refine and reimagine the details. This practice of revisiting brushstrokes, color and energy allows time to deepen the work and expand its possibilities. My figurative abstractions are intended to challenge perception and invite viewers to reflect on their own lived experiences, finding meaning within abstracted yet vaguely familiar forms.”
Andy Jackson is a multidisciplinary artist who works in ceramics, sculpture and video. Featuring The Twilight Zone, the Alien movie franchise, Star Trek and a multitude of television, film and literature sci-fi references, his works explore a “semi-kawaii apocalypse,” offering a response to the decaying conditions of the modern world that is both adorable and off-putting. He is inspired by the ever-changing landscape of film as seen through the lens of short-form video content often seen on Instagram reels and TikTok and confronts ideas of what is art in the face of a flooded industry.
“My favorite piece in the exhibit is a video sculpture titled [MYSTIC CRYSTAL] REVELATIONS,” said Jackson. “The sculpture is an oversized collection of pens and pencils in a cup and a TV mounted on its side to serve as a giant smartphone. It’s an ongoing theme in my thoughts and video work — the conditions about an imaginary spaceship, an ark fleeing from a ruined Earth. I am interested in exploring post-apocalyptic themes in my work and remaking and reworking settings and characters.”
Just Toby, an Atlanta-based photographer, uses vibrant colors and dynamic compositions to capture the personalities of celebrities and performers. Recognized for work with RuPaul’s Drag Race and the local queer community, Toby aims to convey the fundamental essence of each individual through compelling imagery. He also serves as the vice chair of Atlanta Pride as well as the marketing director of Joining Hearts.
“Regarding your question about my favorite piece, it is one inspired by my colleague Austin Young’s Portrait of Anyone Who Comes in Drag. Ever since he released it, I believe in 2016, I’ve wanted to create a piece inspired by it. I haven’t decided on a name yet, but, for me, this piece represents community, art, diversity and empowerment. I aimed to create something timeless and representative of the Atlanta queer scene through the artists who sat in front of my lens and strobe light, almost like an archaeological record of the scene from over 10 years,” said Toby. “The moment I finished the piece and saw it complete, it was surreal to witness over 10 years of work with our local entertainers who are still here today and to remember and keep alive the memory of many we have lost who paved the way for today’s entertainers. Austin’s work moved me back then, and I hope this piece moves people, makes them curious and allows them to lose themselves looking at each portrait that captures the essence of each artist.”
Kerry Smith, AKA kbyte, is an Atlanta-based artist and software engineer who uses digital and traditional media to investigate technology, information and form. “Still Life in an Orange Light is an older work of mine that stands apart in style from the rest of my pieces. It shows an arrangement I created in my studio of various smaller works and other meaningful personal effects,” said kbyte. “When people see it, I hope they recognize it as an attempt to capture the disembodied “I” of that moment.”
For more than 30 years, Royce Soble has documented the local LGBTQIA+ community through photography, painting, drawing and the written word. Aiming to not only capture the personalities and experiences of their community, they also seek to invite others to connect with each other and view the world through their perspective in a safe, shared space.
“I will have an array of works to exhibit, but showcasing two completely different styles of my work,” said Soble. “I want to give an example of the versatility of my artistic vision — the contrast of bold colorful abstract paintings next to black and white documentary style photography showing queer joy.”
::
Isadora Pennington is senior editor of art + design and dance. An experienced writer and photographer with a deep love for the arts, Isadora founded the Sketchbook newsletter with Rough Draft Atlanta in 2022. She is also president of the Avondale Arts Alliance and director of the Avondale Arts Center.
