A visual romp through one woman's journey from Depression-era Arizona through the Sexual Revolution, featuring personal photographs curated by Scott Ewalt and essays by John Waters,
Cindy Sherman, and Bruce Benderson.
Liz Renay (1926–2007) dabbled in subcultures like a true American polymath: World War II V-girl, beauty pageant winner, fashion model, variety performer, beatnik poet, painter, Marilyn Monroe look-alike, burlesque star, Hollywood actress, mafia mole (she went to prison in 1960 for refusing to squeal on her boyfriend, mob boss Mickey Cohen). Her memoir, My Face for the World to See, was a best-seller in 1972. In 1977, she starred in John Waters' Desperate Living. After seven marriages, more than 2,000 lovers, and great-great grandchildren, Liz continued to enjoy her bachelorette lifestyle. Her books went into multiple printings, while fan mail, autograph conventions, and headlining Legends Night at the Burlesque Hall of Fame kept her busy. Fifty years after her art world debut, Liz's paintings were displayed in a solo show at the prestigious Deitch Projects in New York. When Liz passed, The New York Times honored her with a half-page obituary.
The Art of Being Liz Renay is a visual romp through one woman's journey from Depression-era Arizona through the Sexual Revolution, featuring personal photographs curated by Scott Ewalt and essays by John Waters, Cindy Sherman, and Bruce Benderson.
Scott Ewalt moved New York City after graduating from Princeton to work as an artist. He quickly became fascinated by the night life. The night inspired the digital artwork of the day and he has exhibited his art in galleries consistently his work is in dozens of art books. He immersed himself in a number of subcultures—one of them being the infant neo-burlesque movement. This led him to researching music for burlesque stars of the mid-century. He was inspired by them being mavericks of feminism. Some of them include Kitten Natividad, Tempest Storm, and Liz Renay. Ewalt met Liz Renay in 1995 and they became close friends until her passing in 2007 at eighty. She left him her photos, negatives, scrap books and ephemera. He decided create the first visual history of one of the most fascinating women ever.
