Otis Ike & Ivete Lucas

For their second Austin installation OTIS IKE and Ivete Lucas present work culled from their experience embedded amongst Monterrey performers living in extreme poverty. Titled Libres y Lokas, the installation documents the lives of two distinct but perhaps inherently tied groups: lucha libre wrestlers and transgendered queens.

For many the figure of the Lucha is part and parcel of popular culture – brightly colored and flamboyant face masks parading on Univision. The performers documented by OTIS IKE are far away from such international fame. Instead of well-lit arenas these wrestlers spar in empty lots for a little money, which they funnel back into their art and use to buy more outfits and masks. In this context Lucha is a bloodsport, often resulting in extreme bodily harm. The stories of these men and women (and sometimes boys and girls) are fraught and often involve other per formative and marginal professions – many Luchas begin their careers as body-builders and/or strippers.

Opening reception: Saturday, August 1, 2009 at Domy Books, Austin
913 E Cesar Chavez, Austin, TX 78702
7-9pm, FREE ADMISSION

Exhibition runs August 1–September 3, 2009