MAGNUS HASTINGS IS A PIONEER IN DRAG PHOTOGRAPHY. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN NEW YORK, HIS REMARKABLE PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE WORLD’S MOST CELEBRATED DRAG SUPERSTARS WILL BE ON DISPLAY AT THE OUT NYC HOTEL IN AN EXHIBITION TITLED, “WHY DRAG?”PHOTOS REPRESENT A WIDE SPECTRUM OF DRAG RANGING FROM MAINSTREAM ICONS, UNDERGROUND DRAG ROYALTY AND THE NEW BREED OF REALITY TELEVISION STARS. INCLUDED
ARE BIANCA DEL RIO, COURTNEY ACT, SHARON NEEDLES, LADY BUNNY, DWV, JACKIE BEAT AND BOY GEORGE. THE EXHIBITION BEGINS MONDAY, MAY 26, LAUNCHING NEW YORK CITY’S PRIDE MONTH, AND CONTINUES THROUGH AUGUST 31. IT THEN MOVES ON TO OTHER NORTH AMERICAN CITIES.
What sparked your fascination with drag queens?
I think it’s just something I understand. As a little boy, I was a mini drag queen, constantly dressing up and wearing my sister’s clothes. I begged my father for my own doll, and amazingly he boughtme one. But it was when I was in Sydney and saw the amazing and creative queens there that I really fell in love with the genre.
Was it difficult to get all these queens in front of your lens?
Actually pinning them down to a day and a time was quite a struggle. Girls would literally cancel at the last minute with all sorts of excuses from swollen cheeks or brokendown cars to horrible stomach upsets. I tend to shoot during the day, and those are not your usual drag queen hours. We know these queens can be diva.
Who gave you the most trouble?
There were actually only a couple who were guarded, I would say, rather than difficult. I tend to laugh a lot on my shoots. I find if you’re having fun then stars don’t want to be difficult. It is also very dumb to be difficult when someone is controlling your image. I shot a pop star once who was a total cunt. She made my life hell, and oddly enough, the images that ended up in the press made her look fat and miserable. Oops!
What was the craziest thing you did to get the perfect shot?
I was panicking shooting Sharon Needles in the hotel corridor because we were a fire hazard. I just clicked away like a crazy person hoping to God that I got what I needed. It is one of my favorite shots.
Do you love all the images equally?
I have an emotional connection to all of my shots, but my masterpiece is one I did 10 years ago of Vanity Faire as Dorothy from “The Wizard of Oz.” The original hangs on my living room wall.
Who was the Cindy Crawford of the bunch?
I have to say Courtney Act. She is just so damn pretty.
Who was Naomi?
Bianca. I swear that bitch threw her phone at me.
Does one have to love drag to appreciate the exhibit?
Not at all. First and foremost, it is a collection of portraits of exotic creatures. I was careful in retouching because I didn’t want to lose the artistry. From afar, the images appear flawless, but when you get close up, you may see a waxed eyebrow or bit of a lace front. For me, that is the point.
What did you learn about drag? Why do the girls do it?
Everyone has a different story. The through line is self expression and an unwillingness to conform.
Do you believe drag should be considered an art form?
Absolutely!
Does Why Drag? complete your expose on drag queens?
I want this to be an ongoing project. A breathing exhibition, if you will. I plan to take it to cities across America
and then shoot the top queens there and incorporate them into the show. I have other things I should be doing, like earning money to pay the bills, but after shooting drag, everything else seems so very ordinary.
MAGNUS HASTINGS’ “WHY DRAG” EXHIBITION TAKES PLACE MAY 26 THROUGH AUGUST 31 AT THE OUT NYC HOTEL (510 WEST 42ND ST). THEOUTNYC.COM
