A Tribute to Bubbles

Anthony Torres was a friend of mine. He was also a San Francisco activist, artist, and DJ, who was best known for his gender-nonconforming alter ego, Bubbles. We spoke often about collaborating on an art show, with his retro collages and my series of portraits of him. Unfortunately, he was fatally shot early Saturday morning, September 10, 2017, during what was considered a hate crime.

In his honor, I created a series of oil paintings using photos of him in ways that I thought represented his soul. I gave him is wings so he could soar, I painted him in a dress I bought him, dancing over the city in a snow globe, and ended with Bubs in a Jesus suit with the iconic words from Looney Tunes, "That's All Folks"