The 'Butch Queen Realness' of assume vivid astro focus' Tate Liverpool title refers specifically to the categories that exist as part of the competitive, celebratory vogue ball culture. Rooted in a New York scene that has been at times celebrated and at times remained a dissident and subversive voice out of the spotlight. It was given a well-documented airing by Jenny Livingstone's insightful 1987 documentary film, 'Paris is Burning', and popularised (some would argue consumed) by Madonna's song and video 'Vogue' from the early 1990s. Harlem drag balls of the 1920s and '30s, the ballroom scene of the 1970s, and the vogue balls of the 1980s are all stages in the powerful legacy of this world, and these competitive performances continue very much into the present. avaf captured footage of a night at Clubhouse NYC, which hosts many contemporary vogueing balls. Performers from various houses -the kinship networks of various sexes and genders- have each established complex gender norms which are displayed through their routines. Self-declared Butch Queens, Femme Queens and Butch Queens Up in Drag, Butches and Women perform in family networks and compete in categories such as 'Realness', and 'Vogue Femme Performance'. Such categories have evolved as each decades' prevailing cultures that they subvert, respect, emulate and create, change. Frank Leon Roberts 'Paris is Still Burning: Ballroom Culture 101' (linked below) gives the best at-hand description of the categories avaf was watching in these clips.

In contrast and compliment to the freestyle colourful vogueing scene of clubhouse NYC watch a diptych view of artist Terence Koh's 'Koh and the 50 most beautiful boy', an exhibition, performance and publication that launched at LA gallery Peres Projects in 2004. In a completely monochrome environment -white floor, white drum kit and white costume- Koh performs with two teenage drummers either side of him. A parallel view of one of the works, a chandelier, also in the whitest of evironments- glints and reflects the light as if in motion.

Terence Koh, 'Koh and the 50 most beautiful boy' Peres projects, LA, 2004

Last year as part of the prestigious US Whitney Biennial in New York assume vivid astro focus created an outdoor project by way of a large-scale floor sticker for the skate circle in New York's Central Park, between the bandshell and the sheep meadow. The circle is a stretch of pavement that is transformed into a dance roller rink on spring and summer weekends. Working in collaboration with the Central Park Dance Skaters Association, assume vivid astro focus created his vibrant floorscape for the surface of the Skate Circle which covered large sections of the pavement withcolourful abstract patterns. 'avaf 8' is inspired by a wide variety of cultural and graphic sources including the work of American illustrator George Plank, whose elegant, fantastical art deco imagery appeared on Vogue magazine covers in the 1910s and 1920s. Here avaf himself takes to his skates and films the snaking dancers and skaters with his hand-held camera as he circles around and around the rink.

This footage captures Ladytron performing in the assume vivid astro focus installation at Tate Liverpool on May 18, 2005. The overall project at Tate Liverpool was called 'Butch Queen Realness with a Twist in Pastel Colours Video Show', a name taken from the title of the film at the centre of the installation. From 23 April to 23 October 2005 assume vivid astro focus took over the large ground floor space of Tate Liverpool, a single room gallery that was transformed into a multi-screen projection room and performance space. Using exensive digital collage motifs to cover the walls and a configuration of interior walls to providea more intimate internal space, projections of edited film footage and suitably venue-like low light aslo provided the mood. Footage for each projection was drawn from little-known, or hard to access music videos, television footage, nightclub film footage and artist videos representing many aspects of performance in popular culture. Read avaf's extensive 'To Do' research list in the ephemera section for the best clues to the content and context of his references. The visuals which infuse this particular video clip were programmed live by video artist and regular Ladytron collaborator, Jackie Passmore, fused with avaf's film 'bqrwatipc' ('Butch Queen Realness with a Twist in Pastel Colours Video Show') functioning as a parallel backdrop. Ladytron, originally all Liverpool-based and who retain close links with the city, are a revered modernist-styled four-piece band who made an international reputation as electro pop artists. Carnivaleque avaf paper masks made for the project -encouragment for another level of participation from the audience- are also pictured in the ephemera section being modelled with determination by a couple of game London publicans.