Exhibition puts LGBTQ culture in spotlight
Provocations runs at the In Collaboration With gallery in Church Street, and is open now ahead of the weekend’s celebration of all things LGBTQ.
Artist Garth Gatrix has curated the exhibition, with Jez Dolan, as well as showing his own works, which take a comical look at paint colours which use gay language.
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Hide Ad“You find paint colours have these names, like Cottage Door or Dainty Daisy, and it’s about taking ownership of that language,” he said.
“Innuendo happens a lot within queer culture, and when I was looking at paints to decorate my lounge I thought ‘My God, where did those names come from?’
“So it’s a bit of a look at gay culture and how we associate that with every day life.”
Artists have been invited from across the country to take part in Provocations, to showcase the range of art among the LGBTQ community, with works on show including sculpture, embroidery and photography.
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Hide AdGarth said it is the largest exhibition of LGBTQ art Blackpool’s ever had.
“Blackpool Pride has been growing over recent years, by a couple of thousand visitors each year,” he said.
“In 2013 I was commissioned to do the first art exhibition as part of Blackpool Pride, but the funding wasn’t then available for a couple of years.
“This is an independent exhibition, with people coming from places such as Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and London to take part - alongside local artists.”
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Hide AdGarth said the works were an interesting way to see ‘how LGBTQ people are responding to the world at the moment’.
“Our ambition is to set up a company, focusing on the queer programme, to erase some of the ideas that people see Blackpool as a rundown town.
“Blackpool is an open place, it embraces a lot of things.”
Provocations, In Collaboration With, Church Street, until Saturday, June 17.