The art of the tease sheds its layers before us; burlesque’s roots are steeped in ribald comedy and female striptease, both reflecting culture at the time. Women embrace their curves and dismantle the cultural trappings of the status quo — revealing more to the art form than raunchy jokes and sparkly straps falling like feathers.

Vegas showgirls are burlesque, and suburban craftswomen are burlesque. Every element is a layered conception of gender and performance of self - from classic corsets and tassels to lewd slapstick shenanigans.

Burlesque and the captured still or moving imagery of such performance subverts the male gaze because women control every component of what they present on stage: from their tactical costumes, choreography, hair, make-up, and persona, to their expressions of sexuality and identity. The entirety of the performance is not one for a man -- it’s not for anyone, but for perhaps the performers themselves who prioritize and thus create their own sense of satisfaction.

Provocative Play surveys the art of burlesque in Chicago today, profiling five performers and featuring over 20 works by Chicago photographers whose subject matters are burlesque and female empowerment through tantalizing performance.

Curator: Erica McKeehen

Featured performers: Ruby Spencer, Sally Marvel, Crocodile Lightning, Zahradka Tonic, and Cruel Valentine