Walking down a decidedly bleak street in the industrial belt of Peakhurst in Sydney’s south-west late on Sunday afternoon, the quiet is almost disconcerting. Not a car, not a person in sight. Turning into the driveway that leads to Scott Elk’s new studio, the setting is almost reminiscent of a scene from Wolf Creek. But the foreboding silence is quickly broken when Elk appears from around a corner, smiling broadly, a miniature dachshund obediently in tow.
The scene inside the Elk’s studio utterly belies the eerie calm outside. Vivid, searing canvasses are stacked up against each other throughout; shelves of paints line the walls; a neon sign glows brightly in one corner; and screen-printing materials are set up on a table. There’s a ladder leading to a tiny nook that is strewn with acoustic guitars. Music plays.
Elk is the local artist who was given the coveted job of creating six official artworks for this year’s Mardi Gras Festival. In tune with the ‘History of the World’ theme, each artwork features a member of the GLBT community moonlighting as a historical figure or icon that defined an era. So we have drag queen Minnie Cooper as Marlene Dietrich; community activist Siri May as Joan of Arc; surf lifesaver Rob Magee as Leonardo’s Vitruvian Man; fetish fashion futurist Cyber Queen as Queen Elizabeth I; leather man Alan Norman as Neptune; and drag king Rocco D’Amore as the ‘Gay Clone’.
“I always wanted the characters to be a combination of drawing and photography,” Elk tells SX. “A technique I saw as imperative for continuity across the six characters, to reinforce the historical element. Photographing the models as the characters was the first step. I then made drawings of the photographs, and put them together as digital illustrations.
“I placed the characters in a totally hand-drawn environment, as I wanted the imagery to have a very hand-drawn feel, with the stylistic elements reminiscent of an old map, and my number set serving as background for key dates.”
The resulting images are a bold fusion of Touko Laaksonen (aka Tom of Finland), the sketches of Harry Bush, the role-playing element of Pierre et Giles, and the colour minimalism of Gilbert and George, Elk says. “The concept was built around the Gay Clone. I have an interest in vintage porn and it was fantastic I could explore that with the season imagery, referencing Tom of Finland but with a female twist.
“But to me, that image alone didn’t say ‘History of the World’, so I needed to construct a framework for the gay clone to sit in so it did make sense. The other characters helped do this while at the same time allowing us to recognise various people throughout history, and various people within our local GLBT community. The concept seemed to tick a lot of boxes.”
Moreover, Elk believes the ‘History of the World’ theme is perfect for the Mardi Gras festival. “It’s a perfect platform to provide education especially to younger people who may take for granted the level of acceptance we’ve achieved and even the existence of Mardi Gras,” he muses. “Growing up gay 30 years ago was very different to what it is today.”
Scott Elk’s 2010 Mardi Festival Season artwork will be on display at the Mardi Gras Gallery, located at Tap Gallery, 278 Palmer Street, Darlinghurst. Screen prints based on the artworks will be on sale for $135 each. The Mardi Gras Gallery runs from February 20-March 6.
SCOTT ELK UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL
In conjunction with the Mardi Gras festival artwork, Elk is also being exhibited in a solo show at Urban Uprising titled BINGO v. 2.0: The Seedy Underworld of Subculture and Sex By Numbers. "It's big" he says. "I think people are going to be a little overwhelmed walking into the space. I didn't think it would all fit. A massive mural effect from start to finish featuring some real spunks -and Jesus."
The Bingo series is partly Elk's reaction to living in the city as a young gay man exploring sexuality through various subcultures and scenes. This second instalment in particular is about "the complexities of a gay relationship", he asserts. "I just think people should talk more about the sex they are having."
Having his work publicly exhibited is something Elk still struggles with. "I don't like to think I rape my experiences for the juicy bits, it's more about putting a little more thought into things to discover, learn and grow. I think I've always been doing what I do, but slowly I'm letting more people in. Like with this exhibition, I'm putting work out there for people to see and judge and it's scary."
BINGO v. 2.0: The Seedy Underworld of Subculture and Sex by Numbers, Urban Uprising (314 Crown St, Darlinghurst) from February 18-28. |
