community ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives at
the USC Libraries was founded in 1952 by the publisher of theONE magazine, the first widely circulated magazine for the gay community at the time. Housing the largest collection of LGBTQ his- tory in the world, collected over its 60-year history, ONE Archives has grown into the vast historical repository it is today. In addition to preserving LGBTQ history, ONE also mounts public programs and exhibitions, like their most current featured show, Axis Mundo. The Rage Monthly caught up with David
Evans Frantz, Curator, ONE Archives at the USC Libraries to discuss what happens atONE Archives and specifically, the Axis Mundo exhibit. Frantz discussed the impetus for creating the
exhibit and why ONE Archives chose to do it at this moment in time. “Axis Mundo grew from extensive research into the life and practice of artist Edmundo “Mundo” Meza and more broadly, the work of a generation of queer and Chicana/o artists in Los Angeles between the late 1960s and early 1990s. Among his peers, Meza was renowned for his work as a painter, performer and window dresser before his death from AIDS in 1985.” He continued, “In our conversations with artists of his generation he has always been held in high regard and spoken of with reverence for his talents, yet his work had been little seen since his death. In many ways Meza is the conceptual axis of this expansive historical exhibition, guiding its emphasis on recovery as well as many of the project’s core themes. Through the research, the show grew to include works by Meza as well as more than fifty other artists and groups.” As to how the organization selects artist’s works housed within and the specifics of Axis Mundo, Frantz described their criterion as such. “ONE Archives received two grants over four years from the Getty Foundation toward the organization of Axis Mundo. As research for the show evolved my co-curator C. Ondine Chavoya and I increasingly sought to chart the connections and affinities between numerous participants in vibrant artistic scenes in Los Angeles that have received little exposure. This included artists working in fashion, performance, punk music and activist circles.” Describing the collective genius of those participat- ing, he offered this, “Collaboration was central to these artists, who came together to form collectives, establish arts venues, and experiment with new social and aesthetic possibilities. While many were close collaborators, not all of these artists worked
14 RAGE monthly | OCTOBER 2017
QUEER NETWORKS IN CHICANO L.A. The wealth
by joel martens
of works and media in the exhibition is reflective of the experi- mentation of the era
and ingenity of the
participants.”
together. Both direct and indirect connections led to shared content and affiliated aesthetic strategies. Although this network was centered in Los Angeles, many of the artists participated in other artistic scenes, both nationally and internationally.” Speaking to the specific time period surrounding the highlighted artists, material choices for the exhibit, what was happening at that moment in history and why Frantz and ONE Archives staff felt it was important, he offered this. “Axis Mundo maps a period from the late 1960s to the early 1990s, an era of tumultuous and inspiring political activism, from the emergence of the Chicano civil rights, women’s, and gay liberation movements to the political activism around the AIDS epidemic. These
struggles galvanized many of these artists. The exhibition includes painting, photography, performance art, mail art, ’zines, fashion, video, and music. The wealth of works and media in the exhibition is reflective of the experimentation of the era and ingenuity of the participants. In many cases we’re presenting works for the first time since their production.” Highlighting and celebrating
LGBT arts and culture is vital for us as a community, because collectively we have contributed so much to the cultural heritage of the United States. It is something often overlooked, especially when it comes to Chicano artists and contributions. When asked how we can continue working to correct this, Frantz offered this: “My co-curator C. Ondine Chavoya
AXIS MUNDO ONE Archives
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