Press Release
Deborah Castillo
South American Cleaner
Tuesday January 25, 2005. 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM
White Cubicle – 24/7 Toilet Gallery
The George and Dragon Public House
2 Hackney Road, London E2
24/7 is honoured to invite you to the opening of its new exhibition space located within the Ladies Loo of the prestigious Hackney Road Public House “The George and Dragon”. Measuring 1.40 by 1.40 metres, White Cubicle – 24/7’s Toilet Gallery will present a carefully chosen programme of exhibitions by gender aware international avant-garde female, lesbian, transgender, transsexual and transvestite contemporary artists.
For its inaugural show, the Toilet Gallery will present new work by artist Deborah Castillo. Developed in London during the past year, “South American Cleaner” sees myriad stereotypes of second class citizens in sexual fetish mode (Polish blonde, Latino labourer, Dominatrix, Pre-op Transsexual, Schoolgirl), conveyed via the media of the female prostitutes business cards normally found in telephone kiosks throughout London. Upon closer gaze the voyeur will discover Castillo, in respective poses offering her services to prospective clientele. Disguise and fantasy fuse with salacious bait within the confines of The George and Dragon’s tawdry toilet. The work contributes to an acclaimed tradition of East End artistic engagement with the medium of commercially-available sex that goes back as far as Gilbert & George.
The exhibition at the Toilet Gallery will happen simultaneously and anonymously in other telephone booths throughout zones 1-6 of London, where Castillo will also infiltrate her postcards. As such, the exhibition will last until the last postcard remains.
By popular demand, a special revival of the celebrated 24/7 Guacamole Night will take place during the opening.
Notes to Editors:
Deborah Castillo was born in Caracas, Venezuela in 1971. She was awarded the XI Eugenio Mendoza Art Award (the most prestigious art prize given to young Venezuelan artists by the Sala Mendoza in Caracas) in 2003. This enabled her to bring her unique style to these distant shores; incidentally this will be Castillo’s final installation before being deported back to Venezuela.
The inability to remain, or indeed travel, due to passport/visa restrictions is a matter close to the heart of 24/7. Pablo Jose Leon de la Barra, Sebastian Ramirez and Beatriz Lopez formed the Gallery in 2002. Lopez, now resident in Mexico receives a special dedication having suffered continuing distress at the hands of embassy officials and international bureaucracy in her attempts to carry out 24/7’s endeavours. She also managed The George and Dragon in its fledgling years, which makes this venture particularly special.
24/7 Gallery continues to function as an international, independent, mobile and mutant no budget gallery without a permanent physical space. Continuously rejected by the mainstream, 24/7’s mission is to exhibit whatever, whenever, wherever. Special commitment is given to showing works and propositions with less visibility within the London context, whilst operating outside of the predictable habits of the “art world”.
Special thanks to The George and Dragon’s ineffable publican and landlord Ms. Richard Battye.
24/7’s Toilet Gallery is dedicated to the living memory of Señorita Lopez, her life and work continue to be an inspiration to us all.
Keywords: Debbie Does Dragon, White Cubicle (WC3), Prostitutional Aesthetics, Lick My Caracas, Teloophone Sex, Tropical Slapper, Whoreditch E2, Faeces in the Crowd.
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