RGU News Article Date Posted: 17-Jan-2008 Valid Until: 17-Feb-2008
Art created over a pint celebrates LGBT lives
Drinking in culture took on a new meaning for some members of Aberdeen’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) community recently, as they participated in a visual arts project to create a range of challenging and soulful artworks during nights out in Aberdeen’s pubs and clubs.
These artworks will be on show at the ROUND AB OUT Exhibition, which celebrates the lives of the LGBT community in Aberdeen city, from tomorrow (Friday 18 January). The launch event will take place in RGU Union, Schoolhill, with the Lord Provost, Peter Stephen, as guest-of-honour.
The exhibition is part of a visual arts project for Our Story Scotland – which collects, archives and presents the life stories and experiences of the Scots LGBT community. Over 100 people participated in the workshops, which were sponsored by the Scottish Arts Council, producing a number of thought-provoking pieces, including: decorative plates exploring their ‘Queer’ lives; genderising chairs and graffitied white tiled room wall pieces.
Gray’s MA Student Mark Duguid from Gray’s School of Art and Lecturer Charlie Hackett have both been involved in creating the exhibition. Mark said, “Writing and drawing about personal issues that may not ordinarily be expressed within the public domain was without doubt a liberating experience for a great many of the participants involved.
“Promises of anonymity gave impetus to explore and discuss topics often seen as taboo, even within the LGBT community. Social attitudes are changing and this is the perfect time for individuals to explore and express themselves in an honest and open forum. Through artistic creativity the individual is able to articulate what can often be difficult to put into words.”
Charlie added, “Although this exhibition would have been able to hold its own had it been displayed within a gallery context, it was important that the finished works should be shown in a busy public arena. By doing this, it offers itself to a far broader cross section of the local community.
In many ways the work speaks far beyond the LGBT community. By drawing parallels outside mere sexuality and gender, the exhibition offers an inclusive insight to what is often a misrepresented section of society.”
The ROUND AB OUT Exhibition will be launched at the RGU: UNION on Schoolhill on Friday 18 January at 6.30pm, and will remain open until 18 February. For further information please call 01224 262262.
Press ReleaseArt created over a pint celebrates LGBT lives
