McIntosh Gallery Queer Art Exhibitions

McIntosh Gallery at Western University is proud to present two concurrent exhibitions which both take their inspiration from different aspects of queer culture and identity. For more information, contact Mitra Shreeram, Communications and Outreach Coordinator, mshreera@uwo.ca, 519 661-2111 ext. 87576
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"If You've Got It, Flaunt It" is a group exhibition featuring the works of Michele Pearson Clarke, Thirza Cuthand, Allyson Mitchell and Christina Zeidler, Mr. Mrs. Keith Murray, Benny Nemerofsky-Ramsay, Coral Short, Vivek Shraya, and Danny Welsh.

Queer people exist in opposition. With the goal of catching and “correcting” our identity, we often survey our mannerisms, physical attributes, and other traits that define us as the “other”. Such self-realization and self-regulation are among the earliest stages of recognized difference. As we grow as individuals and develop pride in the performative aspects of our identity, we live more boldly in the world.

"If You’ve Got It Flaunt It" demonstrates the array of potential identities available within the LGBT2Q+ community. Standing their ground by asserting and diversifying queer visibility, the exhibiting artists reveal the complex, shifting nuances of intersectionality based on their lived experience and aspirations for the future.
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"Michael Bidner: Raw" is the first retrospective of the London born artist's work. Bidner (1944-1989) worked predominantly in multiples and mail art yet, despite being a pioneer in these media, has remained largely absent from both the local and national art narratives. This exhibition comprises more than 70 pieces of ephemera and print multiples.

Bidner took visual cues from the world of commercial art, the literary press, the gay community (what is now known as the LGBT2Q+ community), and the London punk scene. He also famously acquired the first colour Xerox machine in Canada and went on to host an all-night print party in the basement of McIntosh Gallery.

In the space of his short career, Bidner created an extraordinary body of work that foreshadowed later developments in alternative culture.
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Images: Danny Welsh, Fuchsia (detail), 2015, photograph. Courtesy the artist. Michael T. Bidner, Fleet of Columbus (detail), 1972, collage. McIntosh Gallery Collection.