Gloria, two archival pigment prints suspended in double-sided walnut frame, 2015 – 2017

Gloria Huddle’s rendition of The Manhattan Transfer hit, Operator, is forever immortalized on tape. Her 1981 performance on the slapdash, but endlessly endearing, public access television show, Stairway to Stardom, contains multitudes. A teacher in her off-hours, her true talents lie in her one-woman act. Huddle’s commitment to her public persona, a recently “discovered” ingenue recording her first demo, is a marvel. Her rich fantasy life is on full display as she delivers a monologue in a put-on Cockney accent and sings with a truly bizarre sense of vocal cadence. Her earnest passion for performing, however, speaks to a common longing for personal recognition and loving adoration.