
SPring 2023
THE SPECTACLE
Americans thrive off their fascination with controversy, fame, and fear. Sexual orientation, gender, and sex itself are the constant subject of our beloved American controversies. Be it the queer and sexual subject matter in Paul Cadmus' "The Fleet's In!" enraging the Navy and its generals in 1934, or the art form of drag being the latest target in the right wing's culture war, the story is as old as time. We are transfixed by what we don't know, by what we don't understand, and frankly, by what disgusts us.
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The same characters that flood the Renaissance-esque composition of Paul Cadmus' paintings are still the bold characters that are causing a scene along city streets, and in dive bars, across America, to this day. Whether it be the gay man with his freshly painted red lacquer nails and pleated skirt to match, or the aspiring actress roped into the world of stardom, vying for her red-carpet appearance, these are individuals with bold personalities and even bolder styles. Society has and continues to look down upon them and call them names like "pansy" and "floozy"; however, the individuals on the receiving end of such judgment embrace these titles placed upon them and vow to live as authentically as possible. They aren't afraid to make a scene, even after so many have told them their whole lives to shrink who they are, for fear they might draw attention to themselves. It is taught to many that one should not make a spectacle of themselves by wearing, acting, or doing anything that could potentially draw criticism, or even just attention from others.
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Bradford Billingsley's Spring 2023 collection entitled "The Spectacle" is a tribute to Cadmus' work and a celebration of the unique and fiercely unapologetic individuals continuing to push boundaries. These fearless souls have chosen to live a life of vibrancy and expression. Some may say
they are causing a spectacle, but what's so wrong with that?
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