Art Dykes and Art Fags are entirely different species. Both work to make the world a better place from a perspective outside the mainstream. There is no medium that has not gained from the glorious creations of these queer creatures. However, like the fish and the bird they are apart though they move to the limits of their world. And, like the fish and the bird, their absence would tip the balance of the planet, throwing life as we know it into abysmal chaos.
Appearence
The art dyke comes in many varieties, more so than her art fag counterpart. She may be "butch" or "tomboy", but beware that those art dyke families are easily confused with the species, Girl-Jock, as neither wears makeup or underwire bras. Paint stains on clothing or blisters on thumb from playing guitar are the tell tale signs that these girl-loving girls are art dykes. They, and the "femme" art dykes often have wild hairstyles not usually found in fashion magazines. Sometimes the hair is a colour or colours not found in nature.
Art fags are either "musicians/painters" or "actors/painters". Gay men who play sports are not ever art fags, even if they can play guitar. Art fags usually have a sallow complexion either from days spent indoors perfecting their art or from wearing white makeup to accentuate their black clothes. Their bodies are less than fit. Hair colour is variable.
Habitat
The art fag's optimum environment is the urban centre. Occasionally, a young art fag may be found elsewhere, but know that his one goal is to get to a sophisticated centre where he can blossom into his ultimate self. Later, he may own a country house where he entertains his glamourous friends with French provincial cuisine amid a garden that defies the God's plan, but he there is nary a theatre premiere he cannot attend on a moments notice.
Art dykes can flourish in a wider variety of habitat. If she falls under in the family of "butch" or "tomboy" time in the wilderness maybe the best environment in which to hone her survivalist skills and grow her armpit hair. "Femme" and "Punk" art dykess' colours shine more brightly in the city, but they are strong swimmers no matter how deep the waters.
Mating Calls/Practices
Poetry, poetry and more poetry (for more see under the heading 'Art'). Art dykes, even if they don't view themselves as writers will write poetry. Sometimes the poems become earnest love songs played on a newly acquired guitar. Sometimes they end up in 'zines. Mating happens when poetry is exchanged among themselves, followed by exchanging beadwork and carrot bran muffins. Once the muffins are exhanged the art dykes are said to be "together" and they flip a coin as to who will be pregnant with their child.
Art fags of the same age rarely mate among themselves unless they live in the artist ghetto of the city. The reason for this is that they need someone to support their artistic endeavors. Successful, aging art fags who can act as mentors, patrons and sugar daddies are the favoured choices. It is the young art fag who does the dance to attract his older mate, looking young, buff and full of creative energy. However, once caught, it is the older mate's credit card does most of the moving from wallet to hand.
Art
An art fag usually comes into his own in high school art class. There he is free to explore the body, to focus on beauty for beauty's sake, following in a long line of art fags before him exemplified by Michelangelo and his cohorts. Once he paints, he can use those talents for the drama department, eventually finding himself on stage in the lead. Unfortunately, this usually attracts the attention of straight girls who see his creativity as a sign of being more evolved than the straight male. If the art fag's medium is music, rarely is he in a rock band. Too many awkward straight boys learn to play the guitar to get dates. Art fags are usually found in woodwinds or strings.
It's poetry that soothes the art dyke heart. She pours her heart into stream of consciousness prose poetry. Poetry invariably leads to folk music, or for the agressive art dyke, punk rock. If she paints, it is only for posters to promote her latest gig or as part of a comic for her latest 'zine. On occasion that poetry leads to performance art which can lead to stand-up comedy. Poetry, is always key. Beauty is masked behind a mess and chaos.
Some Quintessential Famous Art Dykes
Melissa Ethridge (musician), Alice Walker (writer, poet), Lily Tomlin (actor, comic), Carole Pope (musician), Collette (writer), Sinead O'Connor (musician), k.d. lang (musician), Emily Carr (painter), Lorraine Hansburry (writer)
Some Quintessential Famous Art Fags
Armistead Maupin (writer); Keith Haring (painter); Pedro Almodovar (filmmaker);
Andy Warhol (painter); Allen Ginsberg (poet); Rupert Everett (actor); James Baldwin (writer)
Renée S., Web Anthropologist
Dave Coffey -- Segment Producer
When I first heard that Art Dyke 2001 would be finishing off the Images Film Festival this year, I thought this will be an evening of endless fun and silly merriment, one of those rare moments when you feel you’re part of something very unique and yet very low end. You can’t help but be impressed with what a group of creative people can pull off on the lowest budget imaginable. In previous years, the Images Film Festival had put on 3 Minute Rock Star and Art Fag 2000, which were both phenomenal successes. Like Art Dyke 2001, 3 Minute Rock Star and Art Fag required its participants to make a 3 minute, super 8 film around the idea of being a rock star or being an art fag. The problem with Art Dyke was that no one really knew what an art dyke was. Even the participants and organizers had difficulty defining it.
I had difficulty of my own on this shoot. I thought it would be a snap, but surprisingly I received a great deal of resistance from some of the art dyke participants and accompanying folk. Here are a group of woman going on stage in front of hundreds of people to be funny and charming and right on, and many were afraid of being interviewed by me with other people around who might hear them. At one point days before the event, one of the organizers had requested that I get a female cameraperson to bring with me on the shoot so the “girls” can feel more comfortable. Oddly enough, it was the male organizer who suggested it. I couldn’t help but wonder how these woman are going to do in a theatre full of men and women if they may not be able to tolerate a male cameraperson in their vicinity, a cameraperson who hardly speaks at all while working. Of course, some of the women were good sports and quite funny in our interviews. Others were earnest and dull and I know that this was not going to go over in a crowd that was expecting the same crazy, fun-loving antics as 3 Minute Rock Star and Art Fag 2000.
Initially, I was seriously worried for this pageant. Too many of these women fell into the stereotypes of the dyke that this pageant was claiming to leave behind. There were a number of women (and males involved in the pageant) who were far too uptight and sensitive about their space. Before the show started, it felt that the dykes were trying to have a good time like it couldn’t flow from their bones naturally. Maybe it was just stage fright.
Luckily, when the show got underway, Jane and Roy, the two emcees, had the humour and spirit the night needed. Their back-and-forth antics were natural and carefree… they’re a perfect fag/dyke match. There were some great answers from the dyke participants on stage like Lex, Amy, Susie, Sophie and more. When it finally came down to it, more dykes that I had expected pulled off that nice mix of zaniness, charm and talent. Though Art Dyke 2001 was too long and dull behind the scenes, the night was ultimately a success. The judges were saucy, the audience was in-your-face and many of the films were clever and off-beat. As for the judges choice for winner… my pick too. Nobody else came close.
