Inside Phranc’s Butch Closet
Maria Lebedev | Staff Writer
This Fall, the Craig Krull Gallery in Santa Monica presented an exhibition titled “Phranc: The Butch Closet,”' featuring a lesbian sculptor and folk singer-songwriter, Susan Gottlieb, known by the pseudonym “Phranc.”
On Sat. Nov. 4, Gottlieb held a short performance in the gallery's parking lot, where she sang several of her songs and gave readings of a few short memoir pieces. Gottlieb started her artistic career in the late 1970s in Los Angeles. She played in three local all-female punk bands: Nervous Gender, Catholic Discipline, and Castration Squad.
In the 1980s, she started performing as a solo musician and switched her musical style to folk. In addition to being a singer-songwriter, Gottlieb is also an artisan who creates sculptures from paper, cardboard, thread and found materials.
The exhibition portrays Gottlieb's life as a queer woman, using replica sculptures of clothes she wore throughout her life. The art pieces act as time capsules, seizing the defining moments that shaped the artist.
The “Plaid Jacket'' is a replica of a coat Gottlieb had when she was five. During the performance, the artist stated it was the first piece of clothing she felt suited her persona. A paper sculpture of a red dress with a full skirt and a Peter Pan collar, titled “Red Dress (Please Don’t Make Me Wear This)”, is a nod to clothing Gottlieb was forced to wear as a child. “When I was growing up, my aunt and uncle had a dress shop, and they used to have me come over there and try on dresses, and I just hated them,” said Gottlieb. In addition to the paper clothing sculptures, the exhibition consists of an archive room filled with memorabilia of Gottlieb’s music career and an installation that duplicates her recording studio.
“I’m really grateful to have the opportunity to share my life in this very special way with this autobiographical exhibit. It really is my memoir on paper,” Gottlieb said.
“What I like about Phranc is that she is very genuine and quirky, and you get a real sense of who she is through her music and art,” said attendee Carly Fidler.
The exhibition will continue taking place at the Craig Krull Gallery until Dec. 2nd, 2023. The gallery is located at 2525 Michigan Ave, BLD B-3, Santa Monica, CA.
