Julz Hale Mary: The Real Housewives Of Clovis

August 11 – September 23, 2017
Reception Saturday, August 12, 3–6pm
Interactive Artist Event Saturday, September 9, 2–5pm

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Black & White Projects is pleased to present a solo exhibition featuring a new series of works by San Francisco-based interdisciplinary artist Julz Hale Mary exploring the actualities of white housewives through performative digital self-portraits.

The Real Housewives of Clovis portrays the ugly realities of what it means to be a white wife whose identity revolves around an anti-woman husband. Satirizing the pop reality television series while pulling from memories growing up in the conservative Central Valley, Julz shows how closeness to the white patriarchy can slowly drive a white woman to act entitled and aggressive as she emotionally hogs the spotlight at the sacrifice of her kids, other marginalized people, her peers, and herself. In contrast, Julz uses flowers in the background of the portraits to represent the images of innocence, beauty, and peace that superficially bombard the white feminine reputation.

The exhibition is on view at Black & White Projects, in San Francisco’s Mission district, August 11 through September 23, 2017. An artist reception will be hosted on Saturday, August 12, from 3 to 6pm. On Saturday, September 9, the public is invited to join the artist for suburban housewife games and a roundtable discussion. For both events, the artist will be present and “classy” refreshments will be served. For more information, visit blackandwhiteprojects.com.

About the Artist

Julz Hale Mary is a narrative interdisciplinary artist who pulls from the spirit of “Pollyanna gone-wrong,” queering the dissonance they experienced growing up in the superficially positive but grim Central Valley. Combining personal storytelling with systemic analysis, they liberate stale archetypes through fashion design, sewing, photography, self-portraiture, soft sculpture, video, drag, and performance. Julz consistently plays with themes of social conditioning, trauma, and resilience, and recently created their first performative fashion show called “Trauma is a Party (of One)”. Their art has been featured at venues such as SOMArts, The Lab, Artist Television Access, Submission, The Stud, both Seattle and Boston LGBT Film Festivals, San Francisco Arts Commission, Root Division, The Center for Sex and Culture, and YBCA, as well as internationally.