Consisting of three table displays made of plexi glass, Australian hardwood and brass, each one examines a period of time where rights of minorities were (or are) at risk.
The first table, ‘The Past Into The Present’ examines the symbol of the Pink triangle as an identifier of gay men in Nazi concentration camps; illustrating how this first manifestation is possibly fading from memory as it becomes a symbol of defiance and protest and, at times, commercialism.
The second table ‘From Analogue To Digital’ tell the story of a community. In the early 80s there was a man on television. He was filmed pressing down on purple Kaposi Sarcoma on his yellow-tinged skin to show that the mark doesn’t disappear. He is the first person to do this on television and is being filmed from behind so no one can recognise him. He is concerned about his reception, what people will think of the first person with ‘full blown AIDS’ on prime time television. He will die soon but before that he will shake the hand of a princess to prove another point. He is a pioneer.
As we pass into the digital age a blue pill makes all the difference and we are left with just a trace of what happened before. Like a memory. This is today, but the fight is far from over.
Table three ‘Are You Game?’ is covered in the colours of the HRC. It asks a very simple question. How long will our rights last in today’s political climate and who is game to start knocking them over?
Off The Kerb Gallery & Studios
27 Jul - 10 Aug 2017
The performance with no performer.
“We are not shadows of our former selves, we use this shadow within this space and watch as the shadow becomes part of the light, as we become part of the light. Memories are something that are original to the person who is telling the original story.”
This exhibition is the continuation of Jonathon Harris's exploration into the concept of memory. Featuring images and sculpture that
re-examine new and previously performed performance texts ‘Body of Work: Freedom, Flight and Feathers’ examines the notion of and give permission to look into another person’s eyes and see their emotions and memory.
This is how they felt
This is about who was lost,
This is about the numbers.
This is what was seen;
And even the broken-hearted can be fixed with something synthetic.
