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DMU Pride 2024: Logan Showcase Launch, Extravagant Delights and Global Fantasies

Contributing to the 10th anniversary of DMU Pride and celebrating the culmination of Project Archivist, Marina Afonso's outstanding work on the Logan collection, on the 6th February 2024 we launched the Andrew Logan showcase in DMU Gallery. Installed and open to everyone, this mini exhibition offers insight into the archive of the artist, designer, and impresario, arguably most well-known for his sculptures and the annual Alternative Miss World event. You can learn more about these and how the collection came to DMU in our previous posts:

Extravagant Delights and Global Fantasies: Papers of Andrew Logan

A Day (and Night) at the Museum: Visiting the Andrew Logan Museum of Sculpture

Play the reel below to see some highlights from the collection.

LAUNCH AND SHOWCASE

Hosted by Marina and Katharine, Logan's sister and former winner of Alternative Miss World, Janet Slee, opened the launch event with style.

Katharine (left) and Janet (right) got the party started with a few words with the latter saying: 'I’m delighted to be opening the exhibition here at De Montfort University, I feel very honoured actually. I suspect people might be quite surprised by the collection, as it shows just how early on Andrew’s work was inclusive of anyone and everyone. It was just a natural thing to him, it wasn’t as if he was making a thing about it. It was just what he did.' And it is this element of his work in particular that the showcase invites viewers to engage with:

Above: case featuring photographs, programmes, articles and ephemera of the Alternative Miss World event. Beginning in 1972, Logan's beauty pageant was like no other: contestants were judged on criteria inspired by Crufts Dog Show: poise, personality and originality. For anyone and everyone with this event Logan pioneered LGBTQ+ ideals, challenging gender constructs and notions of heteronormativity.

Also on display are examples of Logan's watercolour paintings alongside photographs, designs and exhibition programmes featuring his sculptures and jewellery pieces. 

Janet went on to deliver a message from Andrew who is currently overseas: 'Good morning, good afternoon, good evening. Sorry not to be with you. Sending sunshine and love from sunny Goa. Thank you for your hard work and support. Luv, Andrew.'

Janet and Marina at the launch event, with the former wearing a piece of Logan's jewellery and Marina sporting a pegasus in homage to Logan's sculpture series.

Above: photograph of Logan's first pegasus sculpture during construction. Later named, Pegasus I: Monument to Hope.

The showcase will be in the gallery throughout February and is open to all. Information on opening times and directions can be found on the website: The Gallery

THE CATALOGUE

As well as celebrating Logan's work and DMU Pride, the launch event above is also a culmination of the cataloguing project, 'Extravagant Delights and Global Fantasies' funded by Archives Revealed, a partnership funding programme between The National Archives, the Pilgrim Trust and the Wolfson Foundation. It was through this generous support that archivist, Marina was able to join the Special Collections team to organise and make accessible Logan's historically and culturally significant collection. With widespread general and academic appeal, his work is of particular importance to the LGBTQ+ community, especially in the way his art champions the power of transformational identity. Providing access to this important, joyous and sensory resource for future research and enjoyment, it is with great pride that we are able to share the complete catalogue of the collection: 

A09 Papers of Andrew Logan, Artist

FAREWELL & GOOD LUCK

However, it is with great sadness that we have had to say goodbye to Marina as the project has ended and she embarks on the next stage of her career. We would like to thank her for all her hard work (cataloguing, running volunteer programmes, supporting DMU Frontrunner Wiktoria, promoting the collection, attending events and creating and launching displays/exhibitions), her kindness and her incredible talent to invent a pun for every occasion. We will all miss you dearly.

Wishing you high flying Pegasuccess for the future, Marina.