BENT.
The BENT. catalogue was awarded a spot on the finalists list
in the Communication Arts 2020 Design competition.
BENT. was a curated sale for Sotheby’s New York, celebrating works from LGBTQ+ artists for WorldPride and the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. The visual Identity of the sale reflects the vast history of the LGBTQ+ community, from the AIDS crisis to the infamous Stonewall street riots, to an era when being publicly Queer was either illegal or an imminent danger. Antique wallpaper motifs from an imagined “safe space,” for example a comfortable living room, serve as visual cues for this queer person who is forced to live a double life in fear of targeted violence. Additionally, I wanted to look deeper into the coded symbolism of our history—most notably Oscar Wilde’s green carnations, or Sappho’s poetic violets. The distorted floral motifs throughout the visual components of the sale speak to the queer experience, much like the rainbow has become our societal signifier. There is much pain in our history, but we celebrate the good times as well as the challenges we've overcome. We see the beauty in a life celebrated with diversity, a concept furthered by the title of the sale. We needed a name that was gender inclusive and acknowledged all individuals in the community. The word “bent” is a derogatory term historically weaponized against queer people. We wanted to reclaim this word in celebration of where we've come from.
A portion of Sotheby’s buyer’s premium from the sale was donated to The Center, which provides programs for health, wellness and connection for New York’s LGBTQ+ community.
Creative Direction: Eric Van Speights,
Design and Art Direction: James Keller,
Design: Anamiy Rojas, James Kloiber
The BENT. catalogue 
Zine creation and distribution has a long-standing history in queer activism going as far back as 1940. Historically, zines existed in many underground communities that to the rest of society were labelled as “subversive culture.” For these groups, independently crafted zines became an uncensored and cost-effective method for spreading information. We wanted the catalogue for this sale to share similar characteristics in order to reflect this history. Thus, the BENT. catalogue was designed as a 4-section printed newspaper. The goal was to create a document authentic to the queer experience that promotes mass quantity and accessibility rather than producing a beautiful, refined catalogue which has become expected for Sotheby’s. Copies of the catalogue were scattered around various LGBTQ+ bars across Manhattan and Brooklyn as part of a guerrilla marketing technique.
Digital content
web-banners, digital ads, and e-vites for event reception
Building signage
digital lobby ribbons, digital elevator screens,
and printed elevator signage following the Sotheby's branding
Bent. Installation and Reception
The BENT. reception took place in the gallery showing the 100+ works offered in the upcoming sale.
It began with a night of cocktails, followed by a performance of LINES by Shantell Martin, an artist featured in the sale,
who created a new work to be offered in auction.
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