Artist Statement
As a queer and contemporary photo-based artist, I explore ways to disrupt traditional photographic boundaries and push the limits of my practice. I am interested in the interplay between photography’s ability to present a seemingly straightforward world while sidelining perspectives outside the frame (marginalization). I see photography as a metaphor for heteronormativity, so I work to destabilize it through conceptual or visual means of infiltration. I combine personal themes with queer theory to create work that is rich in content while also accommodating a variety of interpretations. By utilizing large-scale cut-out imagery and collage elements, I disrupt the conventional linear gallery experience by inviting viewers to look in places that usually recede into the background. Placing my work in these unconventional spaces – extending outside the frame or from floor to ceiling – I figuratively evoke recognition of marginalization and create environments where queerness becomes unavoidable.
Bio/CV
Dave Kube (he/him) is a visual artist, professor, and scholar, focused on the exploration of power structures, marginalized communities, human sexuality, and gender studies. Mr. Kube’s artwork has been featured in numerous exhibitions across the United States including Brooklyn, Chicago, San Francisco, and Philadelphia. Many of these shows align with ideas of social justice and queer perspectives. He has been an active participant in numerous scholarly panels and discussions centered on LGBTQIA+ identities and the visual arts.
He has been awarded the Best in Show distinction for his work at The William Way LGBTQ Community Center in Philadelphia, Honorable Mention at Lancaster Art Museum, and has attended numerous residencies including Vermont Studio Center, Peter Bullough Foundation, and Stove Works. He has also served as a juror and curator for numerous exhibitions that revolve around themes of sexuality and identity. Recently, he received a DEI grant to organize an exhibition highlighting marginalized artists.
Mr. Kube received an MFA in Photography from the Tyler School of Art. Currently, he holds the position of Associate Professor of Photography at Commonwealth University.
