Dogpatch Press

Harley (bandana) and Spottacus (glowing eyes) at “Furries & Despair”

San Francisco had a series of furry events last week.  Before it, I posted: “Independent shows and festivals offer new concept for furry events”. After, I posted about the enthusiastic response.  The creativity and demand for more couldn’t be contained in one event. Here’s further developments that spun off from the successful gallery opening of Ron Lussier and Bobby Pin’s “Furries and Despair” photo show.

Movember Benefit:

 
Donate at least $25 to Ron Lussier’s cause for Movember – and receive a 5′ x 5′ Signed Furry Portrait from his ‘Furries & Despair Show’!

Movember is an international charity promoting “the growing of moustaches during the month of November to raise awareness of men’s health issues”, like prostate cancer and depression. (If regular supporters only grow hair on one part of their face… furries can be pilatory superheroes!)

Ron says: “Beat Cancer & Howl for a good cause!  All donations are tax-deductible, and I take requests for which image a specific donor would like.”

(From left – Me, Bobby Pin, Zarafa, Chatah Cheetah, and Jei Cheetah at the show)

“Radical Identity Transformation” round table talk at Canessa gallery:

 
The gallery will host a “Round Table” talk event at 7PM on November 22.  There will be food, drinks and discussion about alternate states of being and  radical identity reinvention.  “The discussion will focus on what ‘identity’ means in the age of the internet, when identity is self-forged, rather than being dictated by society.”

Want to come?  The event’s Facebook page invites you to RSVP.

When Ron invited me, I said “bring people and drinks, and magic will happen…” it’s as simple as that.  A few beers are enough to help me reach an alternate state of being.  But sometimes I indulge wordiness, too.  Like this unofficial statement suggestion I sent Ron…

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“Culture studies say Western society has a trend of reinventing identity.  Internet culture is transforming relationships, and creating glass houses for private life.  It’s been said that if big data is like oil, privacy is “the new green”.

Where the trends intersect, Furry subculture makes a playful sense of alternate being.  Assuming new roles is both an effect and an answer to social media’s fracturing of culture into lonely bubbles.  It promises tactile and emotional experiences together. Fur is to feel, and characters are to perform for each other.  It’s been called a fandom unique from others, where there’s no canon and members are fans of each other.

Whether it’s deliberate or naive, the role playing is an art statement. With roots in science fiction fan culture, it promises a future of limitless self expression, where every animal is equal in creating their world.”