KALEIDOSCOPE IV BELCONNEN ARTS HAS ONCE AGAIN TRANSFORMED INTO A VIBRANT CANVAS SHOWCASING QUEER CREATIVITY AND PRIDE WITH THIS YEAR’S KALEIDOSCOPE IV EXHIBITION. The group exhibition, running until 30 November, vividly reflects how LGBTQIA+ artists perceive the world around them. We spoke with seven artists who are sharing their unique creative voices and talents in the exhibition, about their artistic journeys, creativity, self-discovery, love, defiance and the joy they get from their work.
PAAL BURNETT Paal has been creating art for almost 35 years. His Kaleidoscope IV piece Water Axis Tango is hand-screen printed on dyed linen, then patchworked and stitched. WHAT THEMES DO YOU FIND YOURSELF RETURNING TO IN YOUR ART? In my art, I often return to the concept of the body within a specific place or location. I have lived in Canberra for over 16 years and I find its natural environment and uniquely sheltering hills an inspiration that I can’t resist. I’m drawn back to them whenever I want to express concepts of intimacy, safety or home. HOW DOES YOUR IDENTITY INFLUENCE WHAT YOU CREATE? Being an openly gay man liberates me and makes me less afraid to break out of presumed masculinity or gendered artistic norms. I find household-based artistic pursuits, often denigrated as craft and traditionally seen as feminine, beautiful and fun. I like overworking my hand screen-printed fabrics, dying and stitching them — not to mention adding stolen buttons from my mother’s button tin! It gives a sensual tactility and familiar intimacy to the work that wouldn’t be achieved in other, more ‘butch’ mediums. WHY IS ART IMPORTANT TO YOU? There are always multiple things vying for our attention or demanding a response. My art uses rhythmic and repetitive techniques that help me work off my nerves while inviting a quiet space. I create something new from pieces that would otherwise have little or no value; it’s quite cathartic.
TARA BROMHAM Tara and her partner have experienced a challenging IVF journey. Once they conceived, sunflowers, sunflower seeds, swallows and rainbows all felt like visual signs that their baby was happy and healthy. Her gouache painting Birth Talismans portrays symbols that felt like spiritual messages and protective talismans that came to them. WHAT THEMES FIND THEMSELVES IN YOUR WORK? Connection with nature as spiritual practice, storytelling, patterns and symbolism. WHAT GETS YOUR CREATIVITY FLOWING? I love being outside in nature and noticing textures and patterns of things like bark, leaves, moss and plants. I am also inspired by relational experiences with loved ones and seek ways to symbolise them through objects from the natural world. HOW DO YOU SEE QUEER ART CONTRIBUTING TO BROADER CULTURE RIGHT NOW? Currently LGBTIQ+ art and perspectives are more important than ever. Collectively, we need to know what the lived experiences of queer people are right now so we can hold space for each other and help to support our communities as much as possible. FUSEFEATURE
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