Local artist answers call for more gay art, exhibits in Hillcrest

In my first column of the New Year I made a plea. I asked for more LGBT art events to report on. This is a weekly arts column and I was struggling to find fresh and interesting gay-related work to cover on an ongoing basis. A couple of weeks ticked by and there was no response. So, before the end of January I reached out to five LGBT identifying “movers and shakers” on the local arts scene (curators, gallery owners, choreographers) to see what they had to say. I wanted to start a discussion about what gay art is and could be in San Diego. Three months have passed and I have only heard back from one of these decision makers. As a result I concluded that queer-themed art in San Diego is unnecessary and that we as a community are happy with what we have.

Then, in mid-March I heard from local artist François Michel Beausoleil. He sent a letter to the paper letting us know about his current exhibition. He also vented about poor response to his work which shows and sells well in other U.S. cities. He cited spaces unwilling to show his work because they deemed it “too gay”. Despite this Beausoleil hoped we would cover a show that he finally secured at Tre Porcellini restaurant in Hillcrest. I said: But of course!

Beausoleil lives and works (prolifically) here in San Diego. He is French Canadian and arrived in San Diego back in the 1990s via the Middle East. I have seen his work here and there over the years. You might have too. His paintings are vivid, full of allegory and symbolism and typically (though not always) populated by one or two classically sculpted naked or semi-naked male figures. Beausoleil’s work might look conventionally homoerotic, but the artist has a clear agenda that is both politically and spiritually centered. He has a lot to say and he manages to pack it all into his canvases, centering on themes that change periodically.

Blood is an exhibition of twelve paintings being shown at Tre Porcellini in Hillcrest. The theme of this selection revolves around social issues, from racism and violence to a whole set of post 9/11 fears. The central figure’s nudity is less about sex and more about the vulnerability and spiritual nakedness of individuals caught up in the issues.

Blood is up until May 13. Stop by Tre Porcellini to check them out or make a note to attend the artist’s Q&A Thursday, May 2 (call the restaurant for time details).