17 September – 18 October, 2018. ANCA Inc, ACT Au.
Queen Size speculates on what the possibilities are for identities to exist on the fringes of the gender spectrum. More specifically how can queer-non-binary identities be expressed through contemporary photographic practice and drag? And what relevance does this have in the climate of queer politics today? The exhibition aims to do this using the lenses of contemporary photographic practice and drag to validate and recognise queer identities and how they can be diversely represented.
Practices of photography and drag share the material properties of illusion, transformation and magic, both mediums have the capacity to be “radical”1, “trans-temporal”2 and “abstract”3 - three models of drag as defined by artist Renate Lorenz. Using Lorenz’s models as foundation for new work, Queen Size aims to disrupt the conventional hetero-homo-normative experience of identity in the 21st century. Engaging with shared personal histories of local queer people the exhibition looks to the present as a time of upheaval. It is during this time of upheaval where new and assertive ways of working through and expressing personal identities are emerging. How are these identities measured, defined and categorised? What do they look like?
The exhibition presents stories of queer-non-binary individuals in the form of portraits. The portraits are created using collage techniques with found images courtesy of participating individuals, and new portraits taken by myself.
In the same way that queer-non-binary identities, radical, trans-temporal and abstract drag disrupt a conventional hetero-homo-normative experience the work in the exhibition aims to disrupt the way a viewer interacts with the gallery space. Queen Size presents a series of digitally printed queen size quilt covers suspended from the ceiling. The quilt covers are accompanied by decal text works placed on the floor. Viewers are actively engaged with the work through the act of looking down rather than the conventional way of viewing works on a wall at eye level; an upheaval for the viewer in the way the works are experienced. Viewers are able to freely move around the quilt covers suspended in the gallery space.
1. ’Radical’ refers to drag that does something different to a conventional male – female, female - male transformation, drag that disrupts the male-female gender binary.
2. ’Trans-temporal’ drag refers to a de-stabilisation of time, drag that intervenes, counters or shifts a typical hetero-homo-normative course of life.
3. ’Abstract’ refers to drag that uses objects, text, traces or actions to visualise bodies and the human body is no longer present.