Andrea Bowers //Joy is an Act of Resistance at Andrew Kreps

Andrea Bowers (Calm Sky Blue), 2023. Neon, MDO, Paint. 41 1/2 x 78 1/2 inches (105.4 x 199.4 cm.).

I have not seen a lot of shows in the city that are about activism recently, which is strange when we seem to need it now more than ever. Andrea Bower’s exhibition, Joy is an Act of Resistance, at Andrew Kreps Gallery is one of the best shows I’ve seen in a long time. Because it draws the viewer in with aesthetically pleasing bright, and colorful lights, and then it gives them a very important message about Trans rights in America. It’s my favorite kind of art experience. Bowers created this body of work after documenting the first Trans Youth Prom, held in Washington DC in March 2023. She worked with the ACLU’s Chase Strangio and created a video of the event that accompanies her neons, acrylic works on cardboard, and an installtion. The neons contain rotating disco balls, each one has a slogan from supportive signs, like “You Are Loved”. The acrylic works show portraits of real people and California plants (native to where Bowers works and lives). The final part of the show is an installation of fifty binders (one for each state), showing all the legislation introduced since 2021 that attacks Trans people and their rights. Bowers has used her art to bring attention to a very important national civil and human rights issue.