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A GENEROUS LOVER Queer artist La JohnJoseph’s unique tale of a troubled journey La JohnJoseph’s previous Edinburgh Fringe success, Boy in a Dress, was a sensitive yet forthright fusion of performance art and storytelling: like A Generous Lover, it began with autobiography before addressing wider social ideas about gender and individuality. 2018’s show follows La JohnJoseph seeking mental health support for a friend, highlighting the experience through a transfeminine perspective. across multiple art-forms – La JJ performs, writes and makes videos – the artist takes their own experience and translates it into a philosophical exploration that encompasses religious belief, tenderness and raw honesty.
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La JJ’s approach is determinedly queer in aesthetic and content: ‘I always want to l ag that up to the audience. Queer isn’t seeking i xity, queer is questioning.’ A Generous Lover, driven by La JJ’s distinctive elegant and eloquent style, sits at the intersection between modernist experimentation, classical poetry and robust social commentary. Working
With queerness now more widely discussed, La JJ has a place within the tradition of i lmmaker Derek Jarman, North American i rebrand feminist raconteur Penny Arcade and the romantic poets. La JohnJoseph’s tag – yesterday’s Britain today – suggests a reinvention of history through a contemporary prism, while this reimagining of the past is tempered by a spiritual, intelligent and bracing sense of performance and performativity. (Gareth K Vile) ■ Summerhall, 4–26 Aug (not 6, 13, 20), 6pm, £10 (£8). Previews 1, 3 Aug, £8.
1–8 Aug 2018 THE LIST FESTIVAL 103