“Wedding at Knotty Pine” will feature in “Back to Black.” (Photo courtesy Victoria Alvarez)
TAMPA | Florida native and LGBTQ+ advocate Victoria Alvarez’s “Back to Black” will pay tribute to Tampa’s LGBTQ+ history as a part of HCC Art Galleries’ “Now on View II” Feb. 22 at the Kress Conservatory.
“Now On View” is a free, one-day-only art festival that will feature six Tampa Bay area artists responding to Tampa’s past, present and future at three Ybor City venues. The idea for Alvarez’s installation about two years ago when the Florida legislature began to pass anti-LGBTQ+ laws like “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” and the ban on gender-affirming care.
“We’re not going anywhere, but it doesn’t take away the fact that we are losing our rights,” says Alvarez.
The artist collected, collaged and covered photographs in black, heat-sensitive ink for the installation. “Many were taken at bars and homes, demonstrating that even though many aspects of personal freedoms have been gained, there is still a need for spaces that offer comfort and acceptance,” its description reads.
“When cooled, the 10-foot wide by 5-foot-tall poster is completely black,” it continues. “It takes body heat from physical touch to reveal the images underneath. At this size, one person cannot fully reveal the underlying images by themselves before the poster reverts to its black state. This act demonstrates that, as in life, the LGBTQ+ cannot survive without constant, unwavering support from our surrounding communities. We will disappear behind the black.”
Alvarez remembered the temperature and light-sensitive shirts that were popular in her youth and wondered if the same materials could be used in her art. Last summer, she did a practice run with the first installment.
She collected photos from her the digital collection at the USF library, using Bobby Smith’s work from the 40s-60s, a co-founder of the MCC Tampa. Alvarez also used photos from Rex Maniscalco’s collection from the 80s-00s, who was a Tampa-based LGBTQ+ photographer and community documentarian. He photographed TIGLFF and more over the years.
The first version of her installment was a much smaller poster and was made using her own drawings before she decided to use photos. It was a hit among those who saw it in her studio, so she decided to go bigger.
The new installment isa metaphor, Alvarez notes, as the entire poster cannot be uncovered by one person’s hands alone. It will take groups of people, at the same time, to fully unveil the images that lie under the ink, speaking to how necessary consistent support is to the LGBTQ+ community.
The metaphor also refers to how brief the Florida legislative sessions are. After a certain amount of time, the ink will stop working and will need to be replaced, like how we return every year to the legislative sessions.
Alvarez aims to show the LGBTQ+ community as they are: normal people who make up our family and friends, graduate college, get married, start families and more. On a deeper level, she wants it to serve as a reminder.
“I hope it motivates them to remember that if we don’t get support, we can get erased,” says Alvarez. The upcoming installation will feature over 200 photos, some of which can be seen below courtesy of the artist:
Visit the exhibit on Feb. 22 at Kress Contemporary, located at 1624 E. Seventh Ave. in Tampa. For more information, visit HCC’s website. Learn more about Alvarez and her work at VicAlvarez.com.
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