Out of Towner
Rosemarie Romero ’ s
Porn Nail $ by Leah Sandler photo by Andrew Chadwick
I traveled to Gainesville for Gaze back in January . The festival was organized as a platform to celebrate work by women-identifi ed , non-binary , trans-feminine , trans and cis women creatives . The festival featured musical performances , art , and a panel discussion , all focused on an exploration of female and femme identities . I was particularly drawn to Rosemarie Romero ’ s interactive performance and installation , Porn Nail $. photo by Rosemarie Romero
I sat at a small table with Romero across from me , under the protective gaze of a Virgin Mary wall hanging , bathed in the pink glow of a neon , Miami-kitsch fl amingo wall decoration . As she removed my already chipped polish with acetone-drenched cotton , Romero asked me what colors I wanted for my manicure . I chose a deep turquoise lacquer , with chartreuse glitter for an accent nail . As she expertly applied polish to each digit , Romero explained that her color palettes are inspired by Miami , in its “ Tropi-camp ” glitz , as well as nail art she observed in 1980s erotica , and an exploration of the aesthetic politics of gender .
Romero uses materials and processes that are gendered by our culture , such as sewing , fabric , nail art , jewelry , fashion , and the “ hyper feminine ” as a method of infi ltrating spaces with exaggerated femininity . “ I want it to smell , I want to stink up the place with feminine products , with acetone … I ’ m from Miami , and there are a lot of places that are male dominated , and you know because of the stench , like cigars , and cologne , you know .”
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