…
Juried Competition Honorable Mention Christian DeFonte is a photographer from San Jose, California. He received his BFA in Photography from Bard College in 2012. Christian is currently based in Brooklyn but makes work wherever he goes. “These photographs are from short trips to New Orleans to visit my father, Vinsantos. He, she, or as Vinsantos has been called, It, moved to New Orleans from San Francisco, almost a decade ago. With the move he brought with him his unique style of drag that he developed in the 90’s as an integral figure in the Trannyshack scene. However, his peculiar form of drag was not widely embraced by the pageant-dominated drag scene in New Orleans. As someone who is pretty much allergic to conformity in any sense, Vinsantos started the New Orleans Drag Workshop to carve out a space for himself and anyone with a desire to explore the art of drag, regardless of their gender or sexual identity. This selection is part of a body of work that grows with each visit I make.” 📷: ‘Untitled,’ 2018. @deathfonte #baxterstccny #photography
