I arrived at the show fashionably late with new media designer Jason Hyde. As we were right in the middle of a major heat wave, it was unbelievably hot inside. Perfect for setting the mood for an evening of the Burlesque. People were crammed in, overheated and drinking fairly heavily in order to cool down.

Standing around in the smokey air of the old building while sweating and trying to hear conversations on art, alcohol, and girls really gave me a sense of what an old Burlesque hall would have really been like. As expected, I was very impressed by all of the work shown.

The collective seems to operate as a like-minded group of artists while still maintaining very strong individual identities. It was fun to see how each member interpreted the Burlesque theme. Standing in line waiting for a beer, I overheard someone’s comments on the piece, which I had submitted, “It seems very angry”. I had to laugh.

The Art of Burlesque show may be traveling to Montreal in the near future, so if you’re interested, keep an eye out for information on the Repless Abandon website.

The Art of Burlesque
Date: July 4th and 5th, 2003
Place: The Gladstone Hotel
Address: 1214 Queen St. West, Toronto
http://www.fluffgirlburlesque.com