the other side
by holly genovese
Mixed media background of plants, a desert sunrises and a repeating floral pattern. On the left is an image of yellowed paper with writing, images of women artists and authors a skeleton holding a ball that says “page is portal” next to skeleton key, next to Jonathan Van Ness in a ball gown with a white floral cape. Next to JVN’s feet are two cat heads wearing fruit hats, with a pencil aimed at a dead teddy bear bleeding glitter into a vampire. Above the campfire is an image of a skeleton that says “the other side."
For me, resurrection is chaos and this piece illustrates “the other side,” the upside down tropical paradise with murderous cats and bleeding teddy bears, Where toys and pets and pencils and paradise are unsafe, are distorted. Where, maybe, we actually live. But the other side is leaching into the present, the dead (be it the skeleton or the ghosts of women writers haunting), Jonathan Van Ness, it is impossible to escape. It is a chance for the dead to be resurrected, to become the undead, as Jonathan exasperatedly claims space as the living, sighing while wearing a ball gown and glitter and a cape. How can queer bodies claim space, claim time, in the midst of the end of the world?
about the creator
A blonde person with wavy hair and bangs, hot pink glasses, a septum piercing and ms frizzle earrings smiles for the camera in a multi-colored floral top featuring oranges, greens, and purples.
Holly Genovese (they/them) is a non-binary neurodivergent Austin-based writer, artist, content creator, and very tired Ph.D. Candidate in American Studies at UT Austin. Their visual art is primarily collage, mixed media, and acrylics and they served as art director for the 2021 issue of PubLab and have shown their work at the Da-Vinci Art Alliance in Philadelphia. Their writing has been published all over the internet and you can find out more at holly-genovese.com.