A History of Camp from Christopher Isherwood to the Met Gala

Abstract

This article explores the concept of camp through a historical account that traces its discourse from the literary work of Christopher Isherwood to the Costume Institute exhibition and benefit held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2019. The objective of this project is a departure from defining camp since its theorization has been thoroughly pursued by cultural critics for over half a century now. Instead, opting more for a retrospective critique, I am focusing on key figures, works and events that pushed cultural criticism toward a firm understanding of the notion of camp which in turn revitalized dialogue on the concepts of gender, sexuality, as well as taste and identity. With camp being a praxis which is inextricably linked with queer cultural production, its evolution and popularization alongside the increasing momentum of the LGBTQ+ movement is what drives the main argument in the article. In it, I explicate why the Met Gala serves as a turning point in the history of camp and examine the motives that have propelled camp all the way from the queer margins into mainstream media and, furthermore, into the sphere of cultural preservation as its museum status signifies.