a.r. havel

Lives and works in New Orleans, LA, USA

Artist statement

Coming from a background in performance art and theater, my contemporary work is informed by experiences as a set designer and devising utopian queer worlds. Working in collaboration with fellow queers, sex workers, and activists in New Orleans, I strive to adorn people in the dignity, reverence, and comedy of their own personas. In conversation with the posing model, a custom set comes to fruition, a living altar is built, and then finally documented on medium format cameras. While photography has been my main medium lately, I see the work as process-driven over object-creation. I love spending a day in the studio problem-solving how to create all the elements that go into a set, as well as being in conversation with someone about what colors, clutter, and decor will fit our collective vision. The limited number of exposures on a roll of film, along with the anxious mystery of not knowing if it all worked out, mimics the world of make-it-or-break-it live theater in a way that is very satisfying for me.

Artwork