Six weeks after San Francisco Pride, the city’s Schlomer Haus Gallery hosted What Remains, an exhibition of artwork that made use of the remnants and discarded debris of the two-day celebration.
Whereas corporate sponsors can be prone to moving on and resuming business as usual once June ends, the waste from parties and parades remains and so too do the problems faced by the queer community. Schlomer Haus, opened by Steffan Schlarb in 2021, sought to repurpose that waste while calling out the regular cynicism behind the chase for pink dollars and raising funds for Queer LifeSpace, which provides mental health services for queer people. Among the pieces displayed and offered for sale with 100 percent of the proceeds being donated was collage portrait of Lil Nas X made up of a rainbow of refuse including purple packaging for CBD gummies, a pink Benadryl box, a pack of yellow American Spirits, and a studded black leather collar.
Just over six weeks after What Remains closed, Schlomer Haus is now set to toe the line of working with corporations and examining their relationship with queer communities through “Queer Kicks,” an exhibition featured in this year’s edition of ComplexCon. As convention goers attend concerts, nourish themselves in the curated food court, and above all else chase after limited-edition drops in streetwear and sneakers, the collection of sneaker-inspired artwork serves as a reminder of the role queer people have played in a culture that simultaneously has a habit of shutting them out.
A dozen artists were selected for the exhibition and will show in the mediums of paintings, ceramics, and sculptures. “Queer Kicks” will be available to view during both days of ComplexCon, which runs this Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 18 and 19.
“Queer creators and artists are often at the forefront of driving the culture that’s then co-opted by large corporations,” Schlarb said in a call with Footwear News. “[This show is] a way of showcasing the next generation of queer artists and giving them an opportunity to be in front of this audience.”