Stephen Tashjian

Stephen Tashjian (born 1959) is an American artist. His drag queen character Tabboo! became known in the East Village underground scene of New York City in the 1980s. He is afterward a puppeteer, painter and singer.

Tashjian attended the Massachusetts College of Art in Boston where he became connections with fellow students Nan Goldin and Jack Pierson. He moved to New York's East Village in 1982 to pursue a career as an artist, and became a regular artist at the Pyramid Club, appearing against other drag legends gone Rupaul and Lady Bunny. Tashjian then performed several grow old at the annual Wigstock drag event, and appeared in Wigstock, The Movie, released in 1995.

Tashjian has painted murals on city buildings and exhibited his paintings in many galleries internationally. Under the state Tabboo!, he expected flyers, record album covers and advertising for underground venues. One of his improved known artworks is his graphic design for the album cover of Deee-Lite's World Clique. The curly lettering on the album lid became an iconic image for the band and the rave culture of the upfront 1990s.

The photographer Nan Goldin included photographs of Tabboo! in her books and he is featured on the cover of her book The Other Side in drag.

Tashjian continues to perform in New York and shows his paintings in art shows, most notably a 2006 group decree curated by Jack Pierson at Paul Kasmin Gallery in New York, featuring dozens of camp art pieces from his private collection. The appear in featured works by Matthew Barney, Nan Goldin, David Armstrong, Jack Pierson, and Mark Morrisroe.

Tashjian's play-act has as a consequence been documented in the New Museum's "East Village Show" and New York University (NYU)/Grey Art Gallery's "Downtown Show."

Tashjian was raised in the central Massachusetts town of Leicester.