In REVEAL, Erica McKeehen presents a growing, ever-evolving collection of imagery and written pieces made in collaboration with McKeehen’s best friend, muse, and fellow performer, Katina Marguerite (who has performed burlesque as Kitty Tornado since 2015). The two met and began working together after McKeehen, who was a Starbucks store manager at the time, hired Marguerite’s then-boyfriend, David, as a barista. David introduced the two women, as he and Marguerite were new to Chicago. Marguerite also began taking burlesque classes to make new friends.
Several years ago, Marguerite and David left Chicago, and shortly thereafter moved to Almuñécar, Spain to teach English and live abroad. In the summer of 2022, McKeehen traveled to Spain with funds awarded to her through the Stuart Abelson Graduate Research Fellowship from Columbia College Chicago. She split her time between exploring burlesque shows and performers local to Madrid and re-connecting with Marguerite in the south of Spain, traveling with her to Granada, Seville, and Valencia.
With Marguerite and her husband now living back in Chicago and inspired by the DIY-spirit of burlesque in Spain, both best friends co-produce their own monthly rock n’ roll-themed burlesque show in Chicago’s Ukrainian Village and continue to work side-by-side creatively.
When viewed as a long-form portrayal of one center character (Marguerite), the pieces in REVEAL resists voyeurism and spectacle and instead explore and celebrate creative companionship through nuanced views of femme experience, sexuality, and autonomy.
About the Photographer
Erica McKeehen (b. 1987) is an American artist who was raised on Coca-Cola and grunge rock in small-town Bucyrus, OH. McKeehen currently lives and works in Chicago, IL, performs burlesque as Greta-X, and co-produces a monthly rock n’ roll-themed burlesque show alongside her visual practice. She received her BS from Ohio University ‘10, her MA from Columbia College ‘21, and she is currently an MFA candidate at Columbia College. She also works as a Curatorial and Education Assistant at the Museum of Contemporary Photography and as an Instructor in the Photography Department at Columbia College. Follow her work on Instagram and Twitter.
