OBSESSIONS

VISO Project is pleased to present Obsessions, a solo exhibition of Spanish artist Silvia Prada featuring additional works by Coco Capitán. The exhibition grew out of a conversation between Prada and Capitán, identifying the specific codes of their sexual attractions and articulating aspects of gay male identity they find alluring when expressed by women. Both artists fetishize a specific type of androgyny, informed by fleeting moments in late 80s and 90s pop culture. For Prada, the formation of this particular androgyny is an obsession. Like a historian she archives gender experimentation from this period in music, fashion advertising, and gay culture. Incorporating these references into her collages and drawings, she constructs a mood board for her own identity, which showcases transformational moments that have shaped both her attractions and self-perception. Through her ongoing process of cataloging, Prada collects instances where gender norms have been beautifully transgressed in both subtle and overt ways, her selections underscoring how images of models and pop culture icons have shaped new codes through clothing, styling, grooming, attitude, and a particular command of presence.

Prada’s latest series of collages continues her tendency to queer male, Modernist, hero-artists, such as Picasso and Miró, by mixing their work with Calvin Klein and Versace advertising campaigns, images of Madonna at the height of her power, and models wearing form-fitting fashions taken from the forgotten 1970s gay men’s clothing catalog AH MEN. Prada’s instinct for sharp juxtapositions puts gay cultural achievements on an equal footing with some of the most canonical visual artists of all time. Prada’s work communicates a relentless devotion to and reverence for the powerful transcendence that gay pop culture imagery has offered her, Capitán, and their peers.

The central focus of this exhibition is a celebration of what Prada and Capitán have identified as Princess Diana’s under appreciated role as a master of androgyny. “Look at style right now,” says Prada, “the bomber jackets, the spandex athletic shorts, all gay boys today dress like Princess Diana!” Prada has rendered 12 delicate pencil portraits of the late icon that capture elements of her butch-twink style while focusing on her powerful range of captivating facial expressions. Devious, coy, flirtatious, annoyed; as the most scrutinized member of the Royal Family, Diana was not often able to share her true feelings through words but like many queer people she instead announced her rebellion through attitude, presence, and style. Capitán takes a different approach in her homage to Diana’s gender-bending, paying tribute to the elements that created her influential “tomboy” look, with still life photographs inspired by her infamous collegiate sweatshirts and Royal Canadian Mounted Police trucker hat.

Prada explains how these photo works developed through a research-based and collaborative process, “I watched this video of Princess Diana and Prince Charles being quizzed by all these journalists and one of the journalists shoots this question: ‘are you cooking him breakfast?’ She’s so quick and says ‘I don’t eat breakfast’ — it’s brilliant. I sent Coco in London an oversized super gay sweater I designed that says ‘I don’t eat breakfast’ and she created a photographic piece with the sweater.” Also included in the exhibition is Prada’s first foray into sculpture: an edition of 30slightly over-scaled porcelain replicas of the classic 90s Obsession bar soap by Calvin Klein. Epitomizing the wit with which she teases out the psychological power of pop cultural ephemera throughout her practice, Prada quips: “Obsessions to wash my mind.”

Silvia Prada (b. 1969, Léon Spain) lives and works in New York City.Her drawing and collages have been presented in gallery exhibitions internationally and her work has been acquired for the collections of the Tom of Finland Foundation, MOCA Shanghai, and MUSAC, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Castilla y León. She has authored multiple artist books including: Tom (2018) The Silvia Prada Art Book (2006) and The New Modern Man: A Styling Chart (2012). She is also a regular contributor to fashion and culture magazines including: The Face, Dazed & Confused, V Magazine, PIN–UP GAYLETTER , Candy Magazine, and Electric Youth Magateen.

Prada’s solo exhibitions include: Silvia Prada at TOM House, Tom of Finland Foundation (Los Angeles, U.S. 2018); The New Modern Hair, Pacific Design Center (Los Angeles, U.S. 2013); Let’s Get Busy, Jesus Gallardo Gallery, (Guanajuato, Mexico, 2010); Pin up War, Galería Casado Santapau (Madrid, Spain, 2009); Fever, Art Lab. MoCA (Shanghai, China, 2008); All Things Pop, Centro de Arte Santa Mónica (Barcelona, Spain, 2007); Hot or Not, Laboratorio 987, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Castilla y León (Léon, Spain, 2005).

Coco Capitán (b. 1992, Seville, Spain) lives and works in London. Her art practice straddles the fine art and commercial art worlds, and includes photography, painting, installation, and prose. She has published several books, among them Naïvy, If You’ve Seen It All Close Your Eyes, Naivy in 50 (Definitive) Photographs and Middle Point Between my House and China. Her commercial clients include Gucci, Lacoste, Belmond, APC, COS, Benetton, Nike, Samsung, and Dior. Her work has appeared in publications such as the New York Times Magazine, British Journal of Photography, Dazed & Confused, Le Monde, El Pais, Document Journal, and Vogue. She has been a guest speaker for Cambridge University, Royal College of Art, Oxford University, Manchester School of Art, London South Bank University, and Aalto University, among others.

Capitán’s solo exhibitions include: NAÏVY: in fifty (definitive) photographs at Maximillian William Gallery (London, England, 2023), Who Art Thou at Yvon Lambert (Paris, France, 2023), Ookini (Kyoto, 2023), NAÏVY: in fifty (definitive) at Parco Museum (Tokyo, Japan, 2022), Naïvy at Maximillian William Gallery (London, 2021), Busy Living: Everything with Everyone, Everywhere, All of the Time at the Maison Européenne de la Photography (Paris, France, 2020), and Is It Tomorrow Yet? at Daelim Museum (Seoul, South Korea, 2019). Her work is held in the collections of the Maison Européenne de la Photography, Paris and Huis Marseille, Museum for Photography, Amsterdam.