Joel Seah

While in Maine last month, I met artist Joel Seah, part of whose work Yankee Queer (above) recasts the images and messages sent to him by men on Manhunt.net. Seah’s man-moths, complete with lurid species names directly taken from their emails to him (Partyan Dplay, Whiteon Lyplease), are fascinating. Joel is an Assistant Professor of Art, Printmaking and Drawing at the University of Southern Maine. Joel says about Maine, “In a place where the iconoclastic straight men from the gay erotic canon are naturally positioned – the woodsman, the hunter, the outdoorsman, the sailor, the fisherman – language is occupied to portray both fantasies and realities.” I found Joel’s work beautiful and haunting. I expect we’ll be hearing more from Joel Seah.