Brian's Cousin (After Mapplethorpe), Rachel Trusty

Inspired by books like The Un-Natural State, Instagram accounts such as @truckslutsmag and @queerappalachia, and my own Southern upbringing, this series seeks to convey the richness of southern and rural LGBT+ identities through the reference of multiple and sometimes conflicting visual references. Brian’s Cousin (After Mapplethorpe) references the photograph of Brian Ridley and Lyle Heeter (1979), a gay couple in BDSM attire. Through the anthropomorphization of an aluminum chair frame through the addition of the beaded tank top and the reference to a “cousin” in the title, this piece places BDSM culture into the rural and working class.