WORK

TEXT STAND AS BOTH GENESIS AND BEATING HEART OF WILLIE NORRIS WORKSHOP. ACROSS FORMS AND MEDIUMS, IT APPEARS BOLDLY AND ABRUPTLY—OFTEN WITHOUT BACKGROUND, EXPLANATION, NAMED VOICE OR KNOWN AUTHORITY.

A DESIRE TO COMMUNICATE A CONTEMPORARY AND CORPOREAL QUEER EXPERIENCE DRIVES THE WORK, WHICH ENGAGES WITH THEMES OF MODERN MISERY, YEARNING, DREAD, ESCAPE, INTIMACY, CONNECTION, DELUSION, FORGIVENESS, AND PLAY.

THE WORK HOPES TO OFFER WAYFINDING AND PROVISIONAL CLARITY.

A FATEFUL PRINTING OF “PROMOTE HOMOSEXUALITY” IN 2018 ONTO A THREADBARE BLACK T-SHIRT WITH THICK, RED PLASTISOL INK FOR A FABULOUSLY NYC GAY NIGHT OUT MARKS THE FIRST CHAPTER IN THE WORKSHOP CHRONOLOGY.

WITH PEOPLE WANTING ONE OF THEIR OWN, AND NEEDING A MONIKER THROUGH WHICH TO DISTRIBUTE THE SHIRT, WILLIE STAMPED IT WITH HER NAME AND THE LOCATION OF CREATION, AND THE WORKSHOP IMPRINT WAS BORN. 

THAT SAME SHIRT HAS BEEN PRINTED AND SOLD EVER SINCE, AS PART OF AN OPEN EDITION, AND PROMOTE HOMOSEXUALITY ENDURES AS BOTH A HIGHLY IDENTIFIABLE MARK AND GOD BE TOLD MISSION.

TODAY, INDIVIDUALS ARE INVITED AND ENCOURAGED TO USE THE MARK FOR PERSONAL OR GRASSROOTS COMMUNITY PURPOSES WITHOUT REQUIRING CREDIT OR COMPENSATION.

THE SHOP, IN WORKSHOP, IS FILLED WITH THE STICKY, FOR-SALE RESIDUE OF A PRACTICE IN PROGRESS. SOMETIMES WHAT IS FOR SALE IS THE WORK ITSELF. SOMETIMES IT IS A SOUVENIR, A SOUVENIR TO REMEMBER AND CARRY THE WORK WITH. SOMETIMES IT IS BOTH. SOMETIMES IT IS TRULY NOT THAT DEEP WHATSOEVER. 

IN THEIR 2021 PROFILE OF WILLIE NORRIS TITLED “WILLIE NORRIS HAS SOME WORDS FOR US,” THE NEW YORK TIMES DESCRIBED WILLIE NORRIS AS A “MASTER OF BRINGING TOGETHER”—AN APT CHARACTERIZATION OF THE STYLE SHE HAS DEVELOPED AND DEPLOYS THROUGH WILLIE NORRIS WORKSHOP: DIRECT, POETIC, COMMUNAL.

EXTERNAL BRAND, INSTITUTIONAL AND COMMUNITY COLLABORATORS AND PARTNERS INCLUDE PERFORMANCE SPACE NEW YORK, AWAY, DIEUX, HELMUT LANG, DOLL INVASION, PLANNED PARENTHOOD, GOTHAM FC, AND MOMA PS1.

WILLIE NORRIS WORKSHOP HAS FORMALLY PARTNERED WITH, DONATED TIME OR MATERIAL SERVICES TO (OR DIRECTED PLANNED PROFITS FROM WNWS WORKS AND/OR PROJECTS) TO ORGANIZATIONS INCLUDING G.L.I.T.S., PLANNED PARENTHOOD, DOLL INVASION, BROOKLYN LIBERATION, A4TE, TEAM ANIMAL CYCLING, AND IGLTA.