Photography by Christopher Conry
Interview by Ballerina Bizet
Allow me to introduce the lovely Untitled Queen! By day she is a visual artist and graphic designer working in Brooklyn. At night she is Untitled Queen, a drag queen/nightlife performer bringing her own vision and style to the NYC nightlife scene.
To start off, tell me and our readers a little bit about yourself.
I grew up on Governor’s Island in New York, as my father was in the military, until 1996 when it closed down. After that I moved to Connecticut where I completed high school and my undergraduate degree in Graphic Design and Art at the University of Connecticut. After a year of working at a contemporary art gallery in New Haven, I moved back to New York in 2007 to pursue my Masters Degree in Fine Arts at Parsons The New School for Design. I’m a visual artist with a full time day job doing graphic design for a Brooklyn Cultural organization and I do drag part-time.
When did you start performing in the nightlife scene?
I entered the drag scene while living in Brooklyn with my first performance being at the premiere Bath Salts show at Don Pedros, hosted by Macy Rodman. My next break came when I entered and won the Dragnet competition at Metropolitan Bar hosted by Merrie Cherry.
How would you describe your drag persona?
I consider my drag persona to be an art object, something beyond the parameters of gender or impersonation. I think of myself as a blank slate that draws from contemporary art practices, film, dollar stores, dumpsters, high art, low art, candy aisles, Payless, arts and crafts, DIY, wannabe fashion, 90s MTV.
Tell me about your weekly/monthly parties–the venues, your co-hosts, the energy, etc.
I co-host a weekly show called Bottoms Up at Sugarland with Elizabeth James and resident DJ Jessamess. The party has been Williamsburg’s underwear party for some time before I came into the scene, and continues to be a fun night where we give drag shows and people can dance and also get a free drink for checking their pants. I think of it as less of a skeevy, grind-up spot and more of a “WE NEED TO GET DRUNK and have fun, so let’s do this” vibe, with an opportunity to perform numbers I love to do.
What are your thoughts on the current NYC nightlife scene?
As a whole I think NYC has a lot of little niches to offer people wanting nightlife, but I particularly love being a part of the Brooklyn nightlife scene. There is something about the energy that is raw and alive and above all fun. I think in this scene there is a place for just about any style of performer or personality, which makes going into bars or clubs feel not only exciting, but also welcoming.
What are your drag plans for the rest of the year?
I am helping to plan, organize, and perform in the 2013 Bushwig festival with its founder Horrorchata, scheduled for September at Secret Project Robot.
You can see Untitled Queen every Wednesday for Bottoms Up at Sugarland Nightclub in Williamsburg. Be sure to catch her performance this September at the 2nd Annual Bushwig Festival at Secret Project Robot. Stay tuned for more details!
