Drag Me To America
Loupe Digital Studio is proud to announce Drag Me to America: Where Have We Come From, Where Are We Going, a solo exhibition of recent works by NYC-based artist, Isabella Marcello Cortez Steele.
In Isabella Marcello’s figurative gouache paintings, American presidents are adorned with drag makeup and hairdos. Divorced from their heteronormative contexts, His characters are placed atop brightly colored backgrounds that draw from both a camp and Carnival aesthetic. Each president has been rechristened with a new drag name—as seen in the title of each work—as well as a short, playful biography introducing them to the viewer.
By merging history with fresh presidential trans mythology, Isabella’s works invite the viewer to revisit some of America’s most powerful political figures through a queer and femme lens. Isabella’s use of makeup, hair, and color invokes a fluid and performative reading of these American icons, beckoning the viewer to question their attachments to conventional historical narratives and the power structures they support.
On display are large-scale reproductions created by Loupe Digital directly from Isabella Marcello’s originals. This exhibition is printed on Hahnemühle's new Hemp Fine Art paper.
About Loupe Digital Studio
Loupe Digital Studio is a full-service photographic lab and production company expert in printing, retouching, and scanning for the fine art and commercial markets. Bringing years of experience catering to individual client requirements, we provide a unique creative vision over a range of specialties. Whether it be the demands of a high-level commercial client, art institutions, or individual photographers and artists, we make it our goal to ensure that all necessary details and contingencies are covered.
Loupe Digital Studio is both a Hahnemühle and Canson-Infinity Certified Studio for fine art digital printmaking.
