{"title":"Life is Drag by Rachel Rampleman","description":"\u003cp data-start=\"1499\" data-end=\"2376\"\u003eLaunched in 2019, \u003cem data-start=\"1517\" data-end=\"1531\"\u003eLife is Drag\u003c\/em\u003e has evolved into a vast chronicle of American drag culture, spanning cities, generations, and genres. Sparked by a fortuitous encounter with New York drag icon and community organizer Untitled Queen, the project has grown alongside Rampleman’s deepening immersion in the community to become an expansive celebration of drag in all its forms—from the spectrum of gender expression to experimental art and activism. At a moment when LGBTQIA+ spaces and drag as an art form are increasingly under attack, \u003cem data-start=\"2034\" data-end=\"2048\"\u003eLife is Drag\u003c\/em\u003e becomes more than documentation: it is a collective act of celebration and defiance, showcasing irrepressible performers who challenge convention, rewrite the rules, and embody the range of gender expression. In this spirit, the exhibition transforms SoMad into a space where drag is honored as both legacy and living ritual.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2378\" data-end=\"3244\"\u003eThis latest chapter—comprising 24 new portraits, filmed entirely at SoMad’s Manhattan production studio—marks a powerful evolution in \u003cem data-start=\"2512\" data-end=\"2526\"\u003eLife is Drag\u003c\/em\u003e’s technical scope and cultural depth. Developed through a deeply collaborative process, this segment has been enhanced by the creative and technical contributions of SoMad. With elevated production resources and hands-on support from the organization’s community of artists, producers, and performers, Rampleman worked closely with each drag artist to refine and communicate their vision—reuniting with longtime collaborators and working for the first time with long-admired subjects. Among the featured artists—many of whom are also organizers and activists—are multidisciplinary artist Amygdala, drag and burlesque performer Divina GranSparkle, artist and community organizer Julie J, and drag king King Molasses.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"3246\" data-end=\"4089\"\u003eWith a background in experimental video and documentary, Rampleman approaches drag as a total work of art: a poetic synthesis of performance, costume, sculpture, sound, and identity, and captures numbers by each performer in veritable, full-body high definition videos framed consistently each time and showcased with minimal, if any, editing. Every performer engages in a structured interview, captured in full look—hair, makeup, costume, attitude, exemplifying the height of their stage persona while offering deeply personal reflections on their craft, community, and lived experience. Using a consistent set of questions, Rampleman invites a spectrum of interpretation: for some, drag is political; for others, it’s not. While some say drag is about gender; others say drag transcends gender. In the end, one truth emerges: life is drag.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"4091\" data-end=\"4662\"\u003eAt SoMad, Rampleman’s video portraits will be presented on individual screens and projections within a black box space alongside a video of selected interview excerpts of her subjects responding to the question \u003cem data-start=\"4302\" data-end=\"4333\"\u003e“What does drag mean to you?”\u003c\/em\u003e In this collective chorus, viewers are not only invited to witness the transformative power of drag, but also to recognize its resonance within themselves—as a reflection of joy, truth, and limitless potential. Viewed as a whole, \u003cem data-start=\"4564\" data-end=\"4578\"\u003eLife is Drag\u003c\/em\u003e is a collaborative, living archive of queer expression, resistance, and artistry.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0466\/2004\/9570\/collections\/250905_LifeIsDrag_Posters_4x5_v2.gif?v=1758141670","url":"https:\/\/somad-studio.myshopify.com\/collections\/life-is-drag-by-rachel-rampleman.oembed","provider":"SoMad NYC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}