Kaucyila Brooke's Asks 'Do You Want Me To Draw You A Diagram?'

Apr. 19, 2012, 08:56 AM EDT, Huffpost.com

In her first comprehensive solo exhibition in Germany, "Do You Want Me To Draw You A Diagram", artist Kaucyila Brooke uses humor to infiltrate rigid categories of thinking and create new mythologies. Much of her work centers around lesbian identity and women's desires. Collaging photographs and text to create unconventional narratives, Brooke reveals the constructed, malleable nature of our histories.

One of Brooke's central works, "Tit for Twat," revamps the creation myth of Adam and Eve, replacing the protagonists with "Madam and Eve" in the Garden of Paradise. The two set off on an exploration through culture and media via an alternate history of the origins of the world.

In "Unknown Deviancies: What A Dish!" Brooke appropriates the classic comic book aesthetic to address female desire. The superhero protagonist, BadGirl, finds herself in corporate America searching for identity and purpose. Brooke explained: "Weaving together her lesbian subcultural history with a life of power lunches and appointment books, Badgirl continues to work within the system without loosing her sense of chaos."

Another portion of Brooke's exhibition features archived photographs of items of postmodern punk writer Kathy Acker's clothing items. The clothing transmits information about Acker's style and sexuality, while addressing the strange medium of photography as a method of transmitting knowledge.

Brooke's exhibition enlists a wide arrange of media to tackle a woman's quest for desire, power, and self knowledge in the modern age. From the 1980s to the present day, she has continued to unhinge traditional thinking with her boldness and wit. "Do You Want Me To Draw You A Diagram" runs from April 20 to June 17 at Badischer Kunstverein in Germany.

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