Welcome to the Tragic Kingdom
When I was in graduate school, I took courses in diverse children’s literature. It was one of those “once you see it, you can’t unsee it” kind of experiences. At the time I was in the course, 85% of the protagonists in children’s books were male. The most commonly banned and challenged books include books about race, Civil Rights, and gay penguins. When characters are “coded” as diverse characters, often they are animals (many books set in Africa use animal characters so authors and illustrators can get around cultural requirements of depicting Black African people, who represent a rather diverse population).
While I was paging through these Berenstain Bear books for this collection, I was surprised to find a queer-coded character. I was amused that her name was Queenie (that’s a pretty gay name, if we’re honest). I was disappointed that she is bully; why must the only queer-coded character be a villain? Sigh.
“Tragic Kingdom” is a song about the “underside” of the Magic Kingdom. what a fitting time. Florida’s Don’t Say Gay bill inspired a huge protest by Disney World employees. Even though Disney appears to be a pro-LGBTQ+ corporation on the surface by having pride parades and such, the company in fact donated significant funds to multiple state lawmakers who backed the anti-queer bill.
Tragic Kingdom, indeed.
Welcome to the Tragic Kingdom (No Doubt x Berenstain Bears) is a 6 x 6-inch mixed media on handmade paper. It is finished with UV archival varnish and sold in a 2-inch deep, white frame.
We make every attempt to represent colors as accurately as possible, but be aware that differences among screens and paint pigments may result in variations. Please read our Shipping and Return Policy before purchasing.
Tragic Kingdom is inspired by the song of the same title by No Doubt
Artist Statement for Bear Country: Same as it Ever Was
What artifacts were a lynchpin of your identity formation? Elle has worked with vintage texts for several years; upon recognizing that their childhood in the 1990s was now under the category heading “vintage,” they began pouring over their childhood and adolescent treasures in search of the pop culture influences that formed their expectations for relationships and gender roles. Bear Country pairs illustrations from the children’s book series The Berenstain Bears, with lyrics from an “iconic” playlist Elle curated from their friends in the Gen X / Millennial cohort. After years steeped in so-called identity politics, one has to ask: how much of our identity did we choose? When Elle moved back to their hometown after a prolonged absence, they used this series of work to excavate and name the pieces of vintage pop culture that had silently buttressed their identity. With illustrations from vintage Berenstain Bears books collaged between bubblegum-infused layers of paint and the scrawled lyrics of the songs from Elle’s friends, each painting asks the viewer to consider where – and when – their ideas for contemporary adulthood originated.
