in flagrante delicto
Textile, Polaroids & Experiments by Michael Espinoza
Tom of Finland Foundation - November 11, 2024
And a contemporary textile exhibition featuring
Lisa Auerbach · Aubrey Longley Cook · Greg Climer · Nathan Vincent · Faire Faircloth · Radical Sewing Club · Ellen Schinderman · Ruben Esparza · Works from the Tom of Finland Foundation Collection
Lisa Auerbach · Aubrey Longley Cook · Greg Climer · Nathan Vincent · Faire Faircloth · Radical Sewing Club · Ellen Schinderman · Ruben Esparza · Works from the Tom of Finland Foundation Collection
About the Artist
Michael Espinoza is a non-binary, multi-racial, multi-disciplinary artist whose work embodies and embraces the undone artistic practices of Queer Ancestors lost to persecution, disease, fatal sadness, and closets. Their current practice utilizes embroidery, quilting, digital media, sculpture, and photography to explore sex and sexuality, intersectional identities, intimacy, the body, and contact with the dead. They have previously exhibited live performance, site-specific installation, and video. Their work can be found in public art collections, digital spaces, domestic and international group shows, and the many spaces intended for queer joy. Michael is a current member at Carnation Contemporary; they live and work in Portland, OR.
About in flagrante delicto
The purpose of this body of work is to offer inspiration for our continued survival as queer people and as future queer ancestors. One of the simplest ways to experience this is through the pleasure of the queer body, although I hope you will also witness joy, care, intimacy, and solidarity throughout the work.
Twelve works, located on the mantle, represent the work I made in residence - every picture was made at the house, and every stitch done here. The people in the frames are people I chanced upon in various ways while hanging around the house: Xiaobing, who gave me a memorable greeting on my first night; Nathan, a brilliant fiber artist who agreed to look at my work; Emily, who came over hoping to brighten up her day (it worked!); or Sasha, a volunteer who flashed armpits at and accidentally aroused my attention.
Durk encouraged me to keep a record of my photographic encounters, which at first sounded challenging, however once I started writing, it became an integral piece of my work in residence. Although I won’t be publishing the Sex + Grief Journal, Vol. 1-4 any time soon, I made fragments to give just the tiniest taste of what is inside.
The remainder of the Polaroid/Fiber work is what remains of my solo show, Instant Gratification. This show, which opened in San Francisco in September, is a collection of work made over the course of 2 years. This work was made in my bedroom and in my studio in Portland, at the historically queer nude beach along the Columbia River at Rooster Rock, and in San Francisco. In some cases, these pictures were made in the midst of sex, however I explored many nuances of intimacy throughout this project.
Twelve works, located on the mantle, represent the work I made in residence - every picture was made at the house, and every stitch done here. The people in the frames are people I chanced upon in various ways while hanging around the house: Xiaobing, who gave me a memorable greeting on my first night; Nathan, a brilliant fiber artist who agreed to look at my work; Emily, who came over hoping to brighten up her day (it worked!); or Sasha, a volunteer who flashed armpits at and accidentally aroused my attention.
Durk encouraged me to keep a record of my photographic encounters, which at first sounded challenging, however once I started writing, it became an integral piece of my work in residence. Although I won’t be publishing the Sex + Grief Journal, Vol. 1-4 any time soon, I made fragments to give just the tiniest taste of what is inside.
The remainder of the Polaroid/Fiber work is what remains of my solo show, Instant Gratification. This show, which opened in San Francisco in September, is a collection of work made over the course of 2 years. This work was made in my bedroom and in my studio in Portland, at the historically queer nude beach along the Columbia River at Rooster Rock, and in San Francisco. In some cases, these pictures were made in the midst of sex, however I explored many nuances of intimacy throughout this project.
Curatorial Statement
This group show arose out of the impulse to say “you should show at TOM house!” to every artist I met in LA. I narrowed this impulse to prioritize fiber art which I believe creates an interesting dialogue with my work. This show includes artists who have inspired me for years; I am in astonishment that they are here. I think you will be able to see why.