A thought-provoking and visually stunning showcase of queer history and culture, shedding light on the resilience and creativity of the lesbian community, the Victorian Pride Centre’s Visual Arts Panel is thrilled to present The Queer Gaze, curated by Lisa Salmon.
The Queer Gaze features a stunning collection of images from the iconic lesbian magazine Wicked Women, which was launched in 1988 and played a pivotal role in disrupting the rigid political climate that dominated the lesbian scene at that time.
“There was nowhere safe for us to go wild, so we took matters into our own hands and ran our own dance parties, raunchy events, and a competition called Ms Wicked,” said Lisa Salmon, co-founder of Wicked Women and curator of the exhibition.
“This ruckus contributed to the emergence of a new kind of feminism – one that visibly celebrated our queerness with camp humor and an erotic edge. Together, we faced the stigma of HIV/AIDS, street violence, and lesbian and trans invisibility to create a pocket of queer joy.”
The Queer Gaze will showcase images that have not been seen publicly for decades and are now housed in the Australian Queer Archives at the Victorian Pride Centre.
These images are a testament to the power of queer representation and celebrate the resilience, creativity, and joy of the lesbian community during a challenging era.
The Queer Gaze is currently on display at the Victorian Pride Centre, St Kilda. For more information, visit: www.pridecentre.org.au for details.
Image: Maude Davey – Ms Wicked 1991 reading WW magazine, 1991 – photo by Jamie Dunbar