Presentation: Linda Simpson, The Drag Explosion

K., 334 Broome St, New York, NY 10002

The Drag Explosion is a photographic time capsule, spanning the late 1980s to the mid ’90s, of New York City’s drag-queen subculture. All of the photos were shot by longtime drag personality Linda Simpson, back when film ruled and it was the exception to hobnob with a camera.

During this time, Linda took hundreds of snapshots of her friends and cohorts as they joyfully pushed the boundaries of gender expression. The collection traces a groundbreaking era in drag history, as New York’s downtown drag craze transformed from an underground art form into a pop-culture phenomenon.

During the years covered by The Drag Explosion, Linda Simpson worked extensively as a nightlife and media personality, including publishing the “gay revolutionary” magazine My Comrade and hosting the cable TV show Party Talk. Nowadays, Linda continues her varied career and shares her life at lindasimpson.org.

The Drag Explosion is a multi-media project, including a live slideshow presentation narrated by Linda. Since the project began in 2012, she has presented at various art spaces, schools and theaters, including Participant Inc., MoMA PS1 and the One Archives in Los Angeles by . In 2013, Peradam Press released her debut photo book PAGES, an homage to her friend Page. Photos from the book were exhibited at ClampArt Gallery in NYC in 2014. Another book is in progress.