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Bounce Queen Big Freedia Displays Gallery Of Butts At Hollywood Art Show
Queen of Bounce Big Freedia has a new art show, "Twerk of Art," at World of Wonder in Hollywood. Much like the year 2014: it's all about butts.
Bounce artist and TV personality Big Freedia's art show at Rupaul's Drag Race HQ World of Wonder features work in tribute to Freedia, as well as a gallery of asses the "Mo' Azz" singer took herself. We stopped by before the opening reception, which included many Drag Race guests.
Hanging in the gallery space are butts of all kinds. Freedia said she posted a notice for butt models in New Orleans and she photographed the backsides of anyone who showed up. Many images are mid-twerk.
"They come from all walks of life. Some of them I know, some of them I don't," she said, pointing out a few of his dancers and the man he calls the love of her life, Devin.
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However, Freedia told LAist that not every posterior that showed up to her casting call made it into the show.
"These are the butts that made the cut," she said, in rhythm. She noted that this couplet might be a future song.
I asked what the criteria was for choosing the final butts.
"Just look at it," she said, gesturing to the wall of cheeks. "Basically, it's the ones who had their own little style. All of these people were very interesting and fun to work with."
In addition to the butts, artist Jason Mecier asked Freedia for some of her own trash and turned it into a colorful portrait. Other clusters of paintings by Sham Ibrahim are hung throughout the space, depicting other Big Freedia looks.
Big Freedia was a pioneer of twerk long before Miley Cyrus came riding into the scene on wrecking ball. She was first introduced to bounce music in her native town of New Orleans-the birthplace of bounce. She performed as Big Freedia throughout the early 2000s, even doing a regular night called FEMA Fridays after she was able to move back to New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. It was in 2010 that people really started to take notice of Freedia's ass-shaking live shows and her popularity surged rapidly. She appeared on HBO's Treme, toured with The Postal Service, performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and at SXSW, and began starring in her own reality show on Fuse in the summer 2014.
Here's Freedia talking about the nuances of bounce music:
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And once, she set the Guinness Book of World Record for most simultaneous twerking.
Season three of the show premieres tonight on Fuse. This season takes place while Big Freedia is on tour and adds Freedia's partner, Devin, to the roster. She told us you'll be able to see her and her team in unfamiliar environments, performing different rituals and learning about the various cultures they encounter.
Twerk of Art. By appointment only at World of Wonder. 6650 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood. (323) 603-6300.
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