As a result of winning the 'Art for Life' category of the Queensland Regional Art Awards 2023 I was invited to develop an exhibition for the Judith Wright Arts Centre in Fortitude Valley, Yuggera and Turrbal country, Meeanjin/Brisbane.
The artwork that won the award was something of an anomaly, bridging, or operating in the space between, painting and sculpture. For this reason I decided to select a group of works produced over 19 years for this exhibition, artworks that were also peripheral to how people might understand my practice. Some artworks included were the first of a new series, others exist very much on their own.
From the beginning of this Visual Arts exploration I have been aware that the Art Market and Art World have an investment in ‘consistency’ and ‘branding’. From the outset I chose, very deliberately, to disrupt this expectation, not to be perverse, but to ensure that experimentation, curiosity and my creative autonomy remained primary concerns in my practice. My commitment to this determination remains as strong as ever.
The title of this exhibition, I wouldn’t normally do this kind of thing, is borrowed from the 1993 Pet Shop Boys Pop/Disco dance hit of the same name. I have admired to Pet Shop Boys' ability to playfully slip between musical genres with humour, curiosity, and careful intent since my youth. The published Artist statement for this exhibition was the lyrics of this clever, catchy and danceable song.
Thank you to all who attended this joyous opening event in May 2024. Extra thanks to Queensland Flying Arts Alliance for their support of the prize and the exhibition. An unscheduled and unexpected performance by Kalkadunga man, composer and musician, William Barton, left the audience spell bound, and me overwhelmed with happy tears.
Photography: Josef Ruckli
Don't get carried away with yourself, Lincoln
2020 and ongoing
Object and activation digital documentation
From time to time
2005
Highly decorated soldier
2024
All eyes
2015
alone
together
we shattered the moon's reflection
together
we shattered the moon's reflection
floating
into the lilies
and out of time
into the lilies
and out of time
you filled me
with the gift
of emptiness
with the gift
of emptiness
2023
Andrea Baumert Howard, Kylie Stevens, Kate Roberts
Leigh Buchanan
Claire Sougnier, Belinda Chisholm
Sasha Anniek
William Barton
Judith Wright Audtorium
Lincoln Austin
In a 1993 interview with NME, Tennant described "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" as having "no dark underbelly whatsoever". He commented, "It's just a happy song, it's just meant to be a love song. Actually, it is from an unusual point of view. We always get this thing where people go on about how English and reserved we are, so it's meant to be a reserved person falling in love. There's something rather middle-aged about it, like some kind of librarian falling in love and going mad."
I Wouldn’t Normally Do This Kind of Thing
Song by Pet Shop Boys
Ask me why,
I say it's most unusual
How can I even try to explain
Why today I feel like dancing
Singing like lovers sing
When I wouldn't normally do this kind of thing?
I wouldn't normally do this kind of thing
I say it's most unusual
How can I even try to explain
Why today I feel like dancing
Singing like lovers sing
When I wouldn't normally do this kind of thing?
I wouldn't normally do this kind of thing
Ask me when, (ta ra ra ra)
I say it started when I met you (ta ra ra ra ra ra)
And ever since then I knew that the past couldn't last
For right now, I think I'm running
A race that I know I'm gonna win
And I wouldn't normally do this kind of thing
I wouldn't normally do this kind of thing
I say it started when I met you (ta ra ra ra ra ra)
And ever since then I knew that the past couldn't last
For right now, I think I'm running
A race that I know I'm gonna win
And I wouldn't normally do this kind of thing
I wouldn't normally do this kind of thing
If people say I'm crazy, I tell 'em that it's true
Let them watch with amazement
Say it won't last beyond breakfast
It's a phase he's going through
Denigrate or speculate on what I'm going through
Because it isn't the sort of thing I would normally do
Let them watch with amazement
Say it won't last beyond breakfast
It's a phase he's going through
Denigrate or speculate on what I'm going through
Because it isn't the sort of thing I would normally do
Ask me what, (ta ra ra ra)
I say I think it's good for you (ta ra ra ra ra)
Believe it or not, I know where it's all leading to
I feel like taking all my clothes off
Dancing to the right of Spring
And I wouldn't normally do this kind of thing
I wouldn't normally do this kind of thing
I wouldn't normally do this kind of -
This kind of thing
I say I think it's good for you (ta ra ra ra ra)
Believe it or not, I know where it's all leading to
I feel like taking all my clothes off
Dancing to the right of Spring
And I wouldn't normally do this kind of thing
I wouldn't normally do this kind of thing
I wouldn't normally do this kind of -
This kind of thing
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Christopher Lowe / Neil Tennant