Today we’d like to introduce you to Diva Dog.
Hi Diva, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers.
Hi there! My name is Diva Dog and I’m a queer street artist that uses my childhood dog – a feisty beagle named Baron – as my inspiration. Prior to my art, I was working in the Film/TV industry as an editor. But I reached a point where I wanted to work on something that was my own vision and not someone else’s. Something that came from a place of pure love and joy. And I immediately thought of my dog Baron.
For me, growing up as a closeted teen in suburban Philadelphia, Baron was my loyal friend, fiercest protector, & loving brother. And he provided unconditional love at a time when I desperately needed it. So I wanted to take a little piece of him and all those feelings and put that into my art. And then share it with the world as a way to honor his memory. So hopefully someone passing by will stop & smile when they see it on the street.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Creating my art and working on new ideas & pieces has always been, honestly, kinda effortless. And once I put them out on the street (and post them on social media) I let them go. And I like to think that my dog is off having his own little adventures in the city (or around the world).
But social media can be tricky to navigate when you are a queer artist. Every once in a while a post will go semi-viral (10k or 20k views) which brings new people to my page. But for all the positive comments and encouragement that I receive, there are equal amounts of negativity and hate (and some death threats as well). In general, I don’t engage with negativity because I put my art out for the people that “get it.” And if you don’t get it, nothing I say is going to change your mind.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My art is a combination of digital art I create on my iPad or computer and then print out, hand-painted wheat pastes that I put on the street, and other works of acrylic on canvas or wood. In general, I’m inspired by all things shiny, colorful & glittery.
A pop culture reference that maybe only a few people might get is sometimes my starting point. I recently made a piece for my birthday that referenced a specific Sex and the City episode. Carrie shows up at a restaurant for her 35th birthday dinner and nobody’s there. So she sits alone surrounded by other patrons. There was a sadness that that scene that I always connect to. So I made my own version with my dog. And put it out on the street. When I posted it online, it didn’t get a big reaction but that was okay. Because it was still exactly what I wanted to express and I’m glad I made it and put it out into the world.
I recently made a piece about “Mean Girls” that people seem to like. It references Regina George’s entry in the “Burn Burn.” In the movie, the popular girl Regina curates a “burn book” that makes fun of all the other students. But she also makes a “burn” about herself so it looks like she’s a victim too. So I made a similar piece that mimics her Burn Book page: “this dog is the nastiest skank bitch I’ve ever met. Do not trust him! He is a fugly slut!” (That’s my actual dog in the piece!)
I guess what I’m most proud of is trying to put some positivity and smiles out into the world that comes from the memory of my loving & protective childhood dog (that’s also blended with a touch of my adult queer perspective).
What are your plans for the future?
My goal for the next year is to get into more galleries. And hopefully get more exposure. I’ve had my work included in a few small shows around the world and one queer art show here in LA. So I would love to find more local galleries to feature my pieces. Fingers crossed!
And I would also love to find more walls to paint my dog murals…to make bigger divas all over LA!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @divadogla
