This piece was created for an article that was written by Enrique Limón. This was a group show that happened at The Glashaus (Barrio Logan, SD) on May 29th as well as Jett Gallery (Little Italy, SD) on July 7th 2010.
Light Box: plywood, recycled plastic, Barbie from 1966 with hand sewn vintage fabric dress and original hair style made from yarn with glass front.
(Measures 12″ x 6″ x 8″)
This is the article that is responsible for the creation of “Dixie’s Box.”
“Hi hookers! I’m so happy to be here today, I could just throw up blood” a bright-eyed Dixie Longate told the crowd gathered at The Center in Hillcrest for a benefit performance of Dixie’s Tupperware Party. Born in an Alabama trailer park, a young Dixie had big dreams, and thanks to her discovery of Aqua Net at age six, even bigger hair. Between husbands, she recalls, someone mentioned that she could make money throwing parties and selling “plastic crap,” and a star was born.
“My Parole Officer started me up in this in order to get my kids back. He roped me in by tellin’ me I could go to parties and drink for free” she told CityBeat in her southern twang. By chance, she caught the eye of a New York theater producer who helped her develop an off-Broadway play that earned her a Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Solo Performance, which Longate has now taken on the road, making her the nation’s top-selling Tupperware lady—no joke.
With the energy of a methed-out trucker, she demonstrated the versatility of the pieces, encouraging audience members to “think outside her box.” Proving that her pitch is nothing like the Tupperware parties of yore, she peddled items like the Rectangular Cake Taker that according to her is “perfect for church,” holding a three-layer sheet cake on one side of its platform or 18 cupcakes on the other or, as she put it, “34 Jell-O shots. Enough for you and your pastor!” Other items included a chip and dip set “large enough to hold cheese cubes and a Guatemalan baby”, an ergonomic cork screw “so easy, even a child can use it…mine do”, and a drip-less tumbler that does not spill even when the straw is taken off. “It seals right up, just like a vagina” she quipped.
The night ended with a “rimming contest” consisting of rival teams gently sealing the lids around the rim off a FlatOut! Collapsible container set, which after you’re done using can flatten to just half of an inch. “And trust me” she said, “it’s about the only time when half an inch of thickness is enough”. –Enrique Limón (San Diego City Beat)
Other Artists from the show include: Bret J. Barret, Brain Dombrowsky, Kelly Hutchison, Ron Miriello, Neko, Gustaf Rooth, Matt Stallings, David Russell Talbot, Tocayo, Perry Vasquez, and Damian Gastellum.
Press form the show:
“Think of it as Jay Gatsby with a dose of dadaism: Enrique Limón, known for his madcap accounts of nights out on the town in S.D. for CityBeat, is celebrating the anniversary of his nightlife column on May 29. The column—officially named the Enrique Experience, dubbed by Limon as “the Justin Bieber haircut of nightlife columns”—has followed exploits ranging from sexy nurse and doctor soirees to Cambodian karaoke to advanced rosary-making classes. The party will be held at uber-mod artistic breeding ground Glashaus in Barrio Logan, and will feature DJs, mandolins, popsicles, maximalist performance art, and pieces created by 12 local artists each based on a Limón story. And before you call this party an ego-fest: The $5 admission goes straight to Mama’s Kitchen.” — Modern Luxury
