Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea

Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea, Queer Urban Tales takes you on a journey of urban myths and queer legends through a series of performances and installations, created by Martha MacDonald and by artists Andrew Browne, Lucas Grogan, Kate Just, T.V. Moore, Patrick Pound and Heather B. Swann. Curated by Jessica Bridgfoot and exhibited at the industrial space The Substation (Newport), the exhibition sees the viewer and participant become what Charles Baudelaire termed as the Flaneur: “a person who walks the city in order to experience it”.

The journey begins with American performance artist Martha MacDonald’s Deep Sea Chanties – also called ‘Shanties’: working songs sung by merchant sailors in the mid to late 19th century – performed along the Maribyrnong River aboard the HMAS Blackbird (est. 1928) travelling from the city to The Substation. Taking approximately 45 minutes, MacDonald serenades a small audience with these Sea Chanties, accompanied by Craig Woodward on the concertina and fiddle. Macdonald also provides anecdotal information on the lonely life sailors experienced when at sea for extended periods, referencing historic information on her own family’s history of seafaring and paying homage to her father-in-law who served in the merchant marines during the 1940s and ‘50s.

On arrival at The Substation, the audience is led into the industrial site, hearing MacDonald’s voice echo throughout singing a pre-recorded Chantie. Following the direction of MacDonald’s haunting voice, one experiences a tingling sensation usually associated with apprehension, unsure of what to expect. In the room is a series of sailors’ crafts – nautical knots – dispersed around the room and in the corner is a record player playing a 7-inch vinyl record with MacDonald’s voice resonating from it.

Artist Lucas Grogan uses a series of paintings and drawings of ‘queer’ imagery to illustrate themes of isolation, inclusion and cultural collisions, depicting erotic, homosexual imagery.

Kate Just’s Unearthed consists of a six-metre row of 46 “unusual” tools: those that reflect, probe, mark and cut the female body; surgical, gynaecological and tattooing implements; and those which hold a magical or personal allure to her.

Patrick Pound’s People Who Look Dead But (Probably) Aren’t uses found photographs of people “in the wind” and those who look dead but (probably) aren’t. Whereas T.V. Moore’s video performance Old Love in Song: in Death asks the viewer to question “What is real?” whilst performing his “death-song”.

Heather B. Swann’s abstract and figurative sculptures and drawings of stretched, twisted and manipulated birds, beasts and human bodies evoke a dark side – that of a dreamlike and paranormal ambiguity.

And finally Andrew Browne’s digital photographs explore the uncanny landscape, that intersection between the urban and wild landscape associated with human intervention and possessing imagined or real forms and events.

Overall Bridgfoot has curated a worthwhile exhibition as part of the 2012 Midsumma Festival. Responding as the Flaneur, we are taken on an unknown journey – in a new city where everything is ‘queer’.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea, Queer Urban Tales
Curated by: Jessica Bridgfoot

The Substation, 1 Market Street, Newport
January 15–February 25 2012 as part of the Midsumma Festival
Boat Performances: January 27 & 28

Bookings: www.midsumma.org.au