James Franco, Kalup Linzy Explore the Soaps, Celebrity in Fort Myers

Visual arts

» FRIDAY, APRIL 21, 2017 James Franco, Kalup Linzy explore soaps, celebrity in Fort Myers show

CHARLES RUNNELLS THE NEWS-PRESS

Actor James Franco didn’t make it to the opening of Bob Rauschenberg Gallery’s latest exhibit, but his artwork certainly did. And so did his famous Hollywood face — thanks to photos, videos, mag- azine covers and the funny, satirical soap operas he’s created with New York artist Kalup Linzy. Franco and Linzy are the subject of a first-of-its-kind exhibit at the Florida SouthWestern State College gallery. They’ve both shown their work separately, says gallery direc- tor Jade Dellinger, but never together in a gallery or art museum. The kindred spirits met in 2009 at Art Basel Miami Beach, where Linzy was performing. And they soon found themselves collaborating on experi- mental videos, paintings, photog- raphy, live performances and other art projects — often playing characters in drag. “We’re on both extremes,” Linzy says. “We’re complete opposites, in a lot of ways. But there are a lot of things that connect us. He’s a classic Hollywood actor, I feel, and I grew up watching a lot of those things.” Their playful, tongue-in-cheek SPECIAL TO THE NEWS-PRESS videos and other artwork poke fun at An audience watches James Franco and Kalup Linzy in a scene from “Ozara and Katessa.” gender, race, family relationships and the world of Hollywood, soap operas and celebrity. do other things. One episode, “Sweat opera, and never thought I would be. So News-Press interview. But in state- To underline the Hollywood con- in da Wind,” parodies “Gone with the I started making my own soap operas.” ment submitted through the gallery, nection, the “James Franco & Kalup Wind.” Another episode, “A Star Is His soap-opera dream came true he called Linzy a versatile performer Linzy: Collaborations” exhibit fea- Reborn,” has Katessa giving birth to in 2010, though, when Franco pulled and artist who uses many voices, tures a screening room built into a a shiny gold star. some strings and got Linzy a short personas and media in his work. corner of the gallery from raw wood- “OK,” Franco tells Linzy. “You’re acting gig with him on “General “Underneath all these different faces en beams and flats. “We wanted it to still not hitting the mark. Now imag- Hospital” (where Franco played the and forms, there is a common and look like the back of a movie set,” ine you’re giving birth to the camera. deranged artist “Franco,” something sincere longing for love, identity and Dellinger says. PUSH!” the actor has described as less about artistic purity,” he said. Audiences can sit on risers and Soap operas have always been a acting and more about performance Franco didn’t actually meet Linzy watch 10 short episodes of “Ozara part of Linzy’s life, and they ended up art). The FSW exhibit features video until Art Basel Miami. But before and Katessa” on a large silver screen. being a huge influence on his artwork, of that appearance and a separate, that, he saw Linzy speaking to gradu- In that fake soap opera series, Linzy too. He would watch soap operas with behind-the-scenes art video shot on ate students at Columbia University. plays the character Katessa Bras- his grandmother, for example, and the “General Hospital” set. “The day Kalup spoke, I had an well, and Franco plays both Katessa’s his dad was a “Guiding Light” fan. Linzy still can’t believe he got to epiphany,” Franco said. “I knew that best friend, Ozara, and her boyfriend. “It was just something that was be on that beloved TV soap. he was going where I wanted to go.” Each 10-minute episode features passed down through the family,” “The producers said yes, and I was Most people know Franco as the the actors dressed in drag and speak- says Linzy, a Florida native born in shocked,” Linzy recalls. “I was jump- actor from Hollywood hits such as ing in higher-pitched voices as they Clermont and raised in Stuckey. “I ing up and down, I was so excited.” rehearse scenes for a soap opera and sort of dreamed of being in a soap Franco wasn’t available for a See Show, Page 29

26 » FRIDAY, APRIL 21, 2017 » THE NEWS-PRESS » GULF COASTING Show If you go Continued from Page 26 What: James Franco and Kalup Linzy art exhibit When: Now through June 3 “127 Hours,” “Pineapple Express” and “Spider-Man.” But the actor has Where: Bob Rauschenberg Gallery always been a visual artist, Linzy at Florida SouthWestern State says. When he became a name-brand College, 8099 College Parkway actor, however, those impulses got S.W., Building L, south Fort Myers. pushed aside somewhat. Admission: Free “He just had these interests he felt like he wasn’t able to explore,” Gallery hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Linzy says. “His acting career took Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to off, and the art became a hobby.” 3 p.m. Saturday Linzy isn’t nearly as famous, but Info: 489-9313 or he’s well-regarded in the art world. rauschenberggallery.com The University of South Florida graduate’s work has been collected in The Museum of Modern Art/New York, The Studio Museum in Har- lem, The Whitney Museum of Amer- spired photos of Cindy Sherman by ican Art and The Metropolitan Mu- often dressing in drag; and props seum of Art. from “General Hospital” and “Ozara “He’s world-renowned,” Dellinger and Katessa,” including wigs, make- says. “He’s quite the art star.” up, scripts and clothes. Franco says he was impressed One of Linzy’s pieces, “The Queen with Linzy’s work from the start. Rose Family Tree,” stretches across “Having now worked with Kalup, two walls and shows photos of the 83 I have gained a deeper understand- characters in Katessa Braswell’s ing of the inspiration of his work,” family tree — mostly played by Lin- he said in his statement. “In my zy, but also played by his sister, his point of view, Kalup’s work is a post- cousins, nieces, nephews and other racial attempt to incorporate himself people (including REM singer Mi- into the adult world/soap-opera chael Stipe). world that he witnessed as a child. “This is essentially a sort of dram- “Behind the videos, I can feel atis personae,” Dellinger says about Kalup’s younger self trying to make the family tree. “It’s his cast of char- sense of the world around him and acters. It’s the fiction he’s created.” trying to fit in. As a young, black, Linzy says the soap-opera series gay man, it probably seemed like the and other soap-inspired art projects easiest way to fit in was to become aren’t necessarily about sexuality, one (or many) of the characters that despite the fact that he and Franco the adults watched on television.” are dressing in drag. The Fort Myers exhibit opened “It’s more about gender than sexu- April 7 and continues through June ality,” Linzy says. “And family rela- 3. Franco hasn’t made an appearance tionships, and the things that bring us at the exhibit yet, but Dellinger says together, and the things that separate he’s still hoping to get him to visit us, that make us feel different.” sometime before the show closes. Connect with this reporter: Other exhibit highlights include Charles Runnells (News-Press) Franco’s “New Film Stills” series, (Facebook) , @charlesrunnells where he recreates the movie-in- (Twitter) , @crunnells1 (Instagram)

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