Rivalry: After Dark
Join us for Rivalry: After Dark, a closing celebration of Gabriel Martinez's exhibition, Sites of Encounter.
The exhibition centers on photographs of cruising spaces across the U.S. and abroad, creating fragmented Queer landscapes imbued with anticipation and memorial. The silver gelatin prints on display were created through intensive and experimental hybrid processes. Martinez merges the dance floor within an analog darkroom by re-exposing his photographs to mirror-ball and laser lights, creating luminous apparitions that become integral to the final images.
Inspired by the role of the dance floor in Queer culture and the ways disco, light, and memory resonate throughout Martinez's practice, the evening invites visitors to experience the exhibition in two distinct settings. DJ Brian Buttlett will spin dance classics as the gallery gradually transitions from its standard lighting into an immersive after-dark environment that echoes the mirror-ball and laser interventions embedded within the work.
Thursday, August 27, 7:30–10:00 PM
Rivalry Projects @ 106 College St, Buffalo, NY 14021
Free but RSVP required. Link to RSVP
The evening concludes with drinks at 26 Allen, just down the street.
Gabriel Martinez: Sites of Encounter has been extended through Friday, September 4 by appointment.
About Brian Buttlett
Based out of his hometown of Rochester, NY, Brian Buttlett is a prominent fixture in Western New York’s dance music scene. He is a co-founder of two prominent queer-centered events; the pop-forward dance party JUICE BOX, and its outdoor summertime affiliate RENDEZVOUS, held on the shores of Lake Ontario. Brian commits his heart and artistry to invigorating and uplifting the region’s queer community, spinning tunes and crafting intentional dance floor experiences for the past five years with no signs of slowing down.
With a sound forged by the Rust Belt’s dynamic queer underground and an infatuation for pop/dance music since adolescence, Brian sports both range and chameleonic ability in adapting his vibrant energy and style seamlessly with every crowd and setting. His sets are known for their dynamism and effervescence, attuned nods to the histories of house, disco, and techno, and unapologetic playfulness. He’s serious about fun as a function of healing and community connectivity on the dance floor, and he welcomes everyone to join in the fun together.
Brian keeps busy featuring in a roster of parties, venues, and lineups both locally and nationally including features at Spot Lite Detroit, Jellyfish in Pittsburgh, PA, Rainbow Rave in Winston-Salem, NC, and Sole Rehab in Rochester. You can always find him in Rochester as the resident DJ of Flora, the newly opened queer dance bar operated by fellow DJ and party organizer Tom DeBlase, as well as his monthly residency night SISTER SUPPORT held at Twentysixallen in Buffalo.