Jeremy Kost Slathers Drag Queens in Swirling Oil Paint

New York-based multimedia artist Jeremy Kost has long been documenting gender, sexuality and nightlife, which he's chronicled in a new art book, featuring extraordinary drag queens in couture. Titled Like One of Your French Girls, Kost's book features polaroids he's taken throughout his career--from 2009 to 2012, specifically--which he recently revisited in 2016 to slather with colorful, swirling oil paint.

"Giants in their own right, captured before RuPaul's Drag Race became an insane phenomenon, these characters are my everything," Kost says of his subjects, which range from Sharon Needles to Alaska Thunderfuck and Amanda Lepore. "We made this work for the sake of art. We didn't make it for likes or followers, but for timeless images that showcase these queens in their glamour, charisma and talent."

Kost says the goopy applied paint elevated his polaroids, making for a complex relationship between makeup, color and costume, as well as the ultimate masking, layering and covering it up.

"We have been trained to place painting on a pedestal, but I believe that no matter the medium, in art it is ultimately an expression and understanding of character that we seek," he says.

Like One of Your French Girls is out today and available to purchase on JeremyKost.com. Keep clicking for a preview of what's inside: