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Amidst the disco balls of a queer dive bar or on the white walls of a commercial art gallery, artist Drake Carr exhibits his glamorous and heartfelt portraits of friends, peers, and fictional characters inspired by a deep affection for ‘80s fashion illustration and the D.I.Y. aesthetics of queer erotica. This documentary short captures the artist as he celebrates his final days as a bartender at Happyfun Hideaway and transitions to becoming a full-time artist. In his Bushwick studio, Carr describes the beginnings of his artistic practice, drawing Christian superheroes in suburban Michigan, where he realized the power of making his imagination a reality. Upon moving to New York City, the artist was invited to create new works for the walls of Happyfun Hideaway, which marked the beginning of his years-long relationship with the establishment. Showing work at a bar offers Carr the opportunity to experiment, and to see patrons interact with his work without distance or preciousness. “It’s fun for me to witness these things just get absorbed into the place,” says the artist. “People not treating it like art on a wall, it’s able to get a little dirty.”

A new aspect of Carr’s practice is live drawing, which began with a two-week residency at New York Life Gallery called Walk-ins (2023), where the artist produced over 150 portraits of invited guests. Since Walk-ins, the artist has begun making commissioned portraits drawn live in subjects’ homes. Subjects for the artist’s “house calls” come from the worlds of art and fashion, including like-minded artists such as illustrator Mel Odom. While Carr draws Odom in his New York City apartment, the two bond over their shared interests, which include gay erotica from the 1980s and 90s. “There were such beautiful things being made out of a necessity to connect and communicate with each other,” Carr remarks. “There’s something intensely real and compulsive about it. Someone really labored over that for a small number of people to see.” Carr’s own work might be seen as a celebration of queer identity, but for the artist, a balance of empathy and irony is crucial to the overall significance of the work. Embracing the camp aesthetics and tender craftsmanship of the work that inspires him, Carr’s portraits lovingly reflect the clashing energies and sensibilities of the communities he depicts.