#queer the streets

micdotcom:

Stunning Australian street art shows the world the true face of LGBT people

Australian street artist Astrotwitch launched “Queer the Streets“ last year based on the idea that, as they wrote on Tumblr, all the “queer community needs is simply for more people to know that they exist.” Their works are incredible — and every one has the potential to create a change.

“Queer Love” pasted in Melbourne, Australia. Two portraits of a queer couple pasted side-by-side. Each painting is roughly 130cm tall, made with acrylic, gouache and markers on paper. The paintings are based on photos by Sarah Deragon for the Identity Project. I used the same color paints for the two paintings, only I emphasized different colors in each painting.

“Trouble and Femme” a paste-up in Collingwood, VIC. So there’s something about construction sites, abandoned buildings, and train stations that street and graffiti artists love, myself included. So that’s what sets the location. For the subjects, aside from these two models being lovely, I’ve become really interested in depicting queer relationships in paintings. So expect more paintings of queers showing affection, or people in queer relationships. I thought this was a great start! Hope you do to :) The models for this painting are Courtney Trouble andLexi Laphor the painting is based on a photo by Rae Threat.

“Queer Voyeur” is a hand painted paste-up in Fitzroy (a neighborhood in Melbourne). This is another that’s based on The Identity Project photos. The photo is of Isabel Dresler, who is herself a photographer.

Queering the streets with some detailed stickers. This past month has been pretty full of other, non-street art, stuff. So I have only had time to make small paintings. Here’s a number of stickers that are queering up the Fitzroy & Collingwood neighborhoods.

Its winter here in Melbourne, which means rain and wind. So putting up some paintings out in the open air is not so fun, and the weather kind of ruins them pretty fast. So the alternative is to find dry places, like  abandoned buildings around Melbourne. The buildings are eventually torn down, usually to make gigantic apartment buildings so wealthy young people can take over the neighborhoods that used to be affordable for people who make less (like female-female couples or trans people).

These portraits are of two lovely queers Drew DeveauxandZahra Stardust. 

“Sometimes being yourself is more important than the protection you get by fitting in”, which I think is a sentiment most queer people can relate to.  The painting is of Drew Deveaux using a photo by Ellen Stagg.

“Queerness is next to saintliness.” Pasted in Collingwood. The painting is of Courtney Trouble who is doing a lot of great things making porn that is for the queer community.

I saw a grey wall and thought it needed some color, so I figured the awesome Andre Shakti seems pretty colorful.

Pasted in Collingwood, VIC. The portrait is of Emma Claire.  I have always been really inspired by icon paintings from the pre-renaissance era, and so I wanted to make iconic style paintings of beautiful queer people.

“People who are different are probably nicer than you”. The painting is made from watercolor, acrylic, pens and markers on newsprint, and is pasted in Collingwood, VIC (a suburb of Melbourne)

The painting is based on Jiz Lee who does a lot of neat artsy porn related things. You should check them out, and through them some love.

They don’t all have to be large. Here’s a selection of stickers that are up in the Fitzroy/Collingwood area. All based on great faces of queer people.

This is pasted in Fitzroy, VIC (a suburb of Melbourne, Australia). The text reads “It would be really great if queer people could get married.” Same-sex marriages are still not legal in Australia, or many countries for that matter. It wouldn’t hurt anyone to let people marry people of the same sex, and lots of people would really appreciate it. So its just the good thing to do. But at this point, everybody knows this. We’re really beyond the point of it being an even debate, so much as its just that some people aren’t being nice. 

The painting is based on a photo of Andre Shakti. Who is a gorgeous lady, doing great stuff in the SF Bay area. Please show her some love :)

One out of every seven transgender people live in poverty. The rate of poverty among transgender people is basically of outrageous. The numbers get work, because those transgender people that have jobs are more likely to be underemployed and work low income jobs. Having a low income is exacerbated by the expensive costs of transitioning. You can read more about the staggering rates of poverty among transgender people here.

This is pasted in the Collingwood neighborhood of Melbourne, Australia. The model for this painting is Morgan M Page. Who is doing great work advocating for trans people ans sex workers, and making great art in Montreal, Quebec. She also has basically the best twitter feed.

Our love is just as real. Pasted in Fitzroy, VIC. I was very excited by the supreme court ruling in the US recently. Congratulations to all my friends up in the US! I, personally, do not view marriage equality as purely symbolic. Anyone who has tried to move internationally with a partner, or anyone who has tried to adopt children understands that being married makes the process so much easier. So its a big deal that has real impacts for many people’s lives. But here in Australia, along with many other countries, marriage equality still does not exist.  I really have never understood why this is such a big deal to straight people (other than the basic fear of things that are different than them). When queer people fall in love its the same basic chemical reaction in their brains as with straight people.

The model for this painting is the mega-fierce artist Marian Machismo. Who lives and works here in Melbourne. 

Contain Ya’self I had a lot of fun painting this portrait of queer porn icon Courtney Trouble. The painting is at Contain Ya’self an initiative being run by a couple rad queers babes that will be part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival in 2015. If you love hanging out in creative spaces and/or supporting queer artists you should go spend some time over there. The space is made of two shipping containers. One serves as a creative space and art studio; the second is being used as a gallery. If you’re in Melbourne and you need a place to hold an event you should contact them. The containers are located behind Footscray Art Centre.

Being ourselves My shows for this year are over, and I’m happy to get back to single paintings for the streets and for people. I’m also happy that the last show is over I can start experimenting with my style a little (hence the messy dots in the background). The text on this painting reads, “This is not for anyone else. It is just us being ourselves.” I guess this is cryptic enough to mean anything to anybody. ;) But I think its appropriate for queer expression. People often forget, or don’t understand, that when people express themselves against mainstream expectations its usually just because the person feels comfortable in that expression.

The painting is based on a photo of the super gorgeous Chelsea Poe. Check out all there stuff, and show them some mega-love!

Half of all transgender people have been assaulted by a romantic partner. (translation of the text). Violence against transgender people is a serious issue, and needs to be dealt with. Statistics like this speak to the normalization of fear that is a large part of too many trans people’s lives.

This paste is in Rio de Janiero, Brazil. Its another paste as part of the ArtFabric project, which connects street artists with under privileged communities. The model is Chelsea Poe. Who was recently honored by the Trans100 for her work in transgender activism and improving the conditions for trans sex workers.