Chris Vargas publishes "Trans Hirstory in 99 Objects"
Chris E. Vargas, Associate Professor of Art & Art History, has edited and published "Trans Hirstory in 99 Objects." The book is a project of Vargas's Museum of Trans Hirstory & Art (MOTHA), a conceptual art project that is "forever under construction."
From the publisher:
Spanning over four centuries, this volume brings together a wide-ranging selection of artworks and artifacts that highlight the under-recognized histories of trans and gender-nonconforming communities. Through the contributions of artists, writers, poets, activists, and scholars, this title reflects on historical erasure and imagines trans futures.
An expansive array of objects chart not a patriarchal history but a gender-neutral, trans-centric hirstory. The first publication of its kind, this survey celebrates trans forebearers, highlights struggles and triumphs, and reflects on the legacies of trans creative expression. Contributions by Kate Bornstein, Ria Brodell, Vaginal Davis, Leah DeVun, Mo B. Dick, Zackary Drucker, David Getsy, Martine Gutierrez, Andrea Jenkins, Jade Guarano Kuriki-Olivo (Puppies Puppies), Thomas (T.) Jean Lax, Abram J. Lewis, Miguel A. López, Amos Mac, Cyle Metzger, Deborah A. Miranda, Morgan M Page, SA Smythe, C. Riley Snorton, Dean Spade, Sandy Stone, Jeannine Tang, Michelle Tea, McKenzie Wark, and many others probe new horizons where institutional critique and trans culture meet. This book is copublished by the Museum of Trans Hirstory & Art (MOTHA), a conceptual art project of artist Chris E. Vargas that is forever “under construction” by design to allow continual transformation.
On Wednesday, March 20, 2024, UCLA's Hammer Museum hosts Vargas and book contributors, editors, and artists Zackary Drucker, David Evans Frantz, Edgar Fabián Frías, Raquel Gutiérrez, Christina Linden, Amos Mac, and Uri McMillan, to celebrate, discuss, and perform trans and non-binary magic; celebrity and activism; and trans-masc hirstories.
