Pinwheel Pinwheel Is Our Psychedelic, Eclectic NYC Drag Queen Of The Week
There is no shortage of drag queens in NYC. You can’t throw a rock without hitting some twink in a dress who thinks he’s got what it takes to shantay down the runway just because he’s seen every season of Ru Paul’s Drag Race while practicing YouTube makeup tutorials. There’s a difference, though, between learning how to just paint your face and turning that face into a work of fucking art. This interview series highlights the New York queens that stand out from the crowd, work their assess off and rock those heels til they bleed.
Meet Pinwheel Pinwheel.
Describe your look.
I would call myself art eclectic, a psychedelic array of colors and textures slammed against the whimzee of somebody dealing with a boatload of anxiety at all times. My makeup has evolved so rapidly and I’m constantly changing my look. I don’t want to be a chameleon because I don’t want to fit in, necessarily, what I want is to be unadulteratedly interesting and always trying new things.
What was your drag look like when you first started?
When I started drag about 7 years ago my first drag name was Martha Murders. I was playing this cannibal drag queen who’s thing was “I’m a 1950’s housewife, I only wear garbage bags and also, I’ll chop you up and eat you.” It was cute but it wasn’t sustainable because I’m not an actor, I’m not a character person I’m just a character.
What’s a Pinwheel Pinwheel show like?
Oh, it’s unfortunate. It’s insane. I like an ultra curated show of real, real nonsense. There’s nothing better about drag then when it’s stupid and I use the word ‘stupid’ here as the highest form of compliment. Of all things drag should be, drag should never take itself too seriously. I think that when drag takes itself too seriously we end up in the same sad space that theater already occupies.
What sets the NYC drag scene apart from anywhere else?
To keep up here you have to be constantly pushing yourself. I think the biggest thing that sets New York apart from everywhere else is that in order to survive as a drag queen , every time you’re out, something about you has to be your peak performance whether you’re in your best costume or your best makeup look. The thing about New York is the energy here is so intense because everybody wants to be the top of their own pile.
Brooklyn is becoming well known as a haven for artistic people. How are you finding living and working there?
I’ve found a home in Brooklyn that I didn’t know I was missing. I found people that support me more than I ever knew I wanted or needed to be supported as an artist. The community has been wonderful and has made me feel recognized in a way that I didn’t know I could be recognized for doing drag the way I do drag.
What defines drag in 2019?
For me what defines drag is you saying, “I’m doing drag”. I don’t really care what drag is to anybody else. It’s sort of defined as gender-amorphous blob of people out there that want to be on stage doing whatever the fuck we want. It’s sort of performance art, sort of acting but it’s really just having a good time and when you’re having a good time other people are having a good time. Drag is wide open and endless.
Follow Pinwheel Pinwheel on Instagram.
You can see Pinwheel Pinwheel every Friday at The Well in Brooklyn for a Drag Race viewing party.
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