French American artist Louise Bourgeois (1911-2010) was a painter, printmaker, sculptor and installation artist. Throughout her career she explored many issues, including gender, death, loneliness, anxiety and pain. 

In Ste Sébastienne, 1992, Bourgeois recasts the early Christian martyr St. Sebastian as female; an image that she frequently returned to in her practice. Bourgeois’ St. Sebastian is a curvaceous figure, headless and peppered with schematic arrows, some of which threaten to pierce her wood-like flesh. Here Bourgeois explores the physical and emotional pain that women silently endure. 

Throughout art history St. Sebastian has featured prominently, from the Renaissance period through to the twenty first century. During this time his image was often eroticised, and many examples undermine traditional gender binaries. The passivity of Sebastian’s form and his averted gaze are common elements in depictions of the female nude in art history. These kinds of depictions of St Sebastian could therefore be read as a form of queering. As such, he has been adopted by the Queer community as a symbol of beauty, suffering and steadfast endurance.  

Discussion questions 

• Discuss Bourgeois’ use of the art elements and principles. How do they contribute to the meanings and messages of the work? (Structural Framework) 
• Ste Sébastienne is a drypoint print. How is the interpretation of the artwork shaped by the materials and the technical skills or processes used by Bourgeois? Is this due to inherent qualities of the materials or to their application? (Structural Framework) 
• Review the list of recommended links below. How does Bourgeois’ Ste Sébastienne compare to these works? Consider the distinctive style of each of these artists and the historical and cultural context in which they were made. (Structural and Contemporary Frameworks) 
• How have contemporary ideas and issues challenged traditional understandings of artworks featuring St. Sebastian? (Contemporary Framework) 
• Has the role of the audience changed when viewing and interpreting artworks of St. Sebastian and if so, how? (Contemporary Framework) 
• Why do you think Bourgeois has made St Sebastian female? How does Bourgeois’ female version of St Sebastian challenge traditional depictions of this martyr? (Contemporary Framework)  

Recommended links:  

• St Sebastian at the column (1499) Albrecht DÜRER Works | NGV | View Work 
• St Sebastian at the tree (1501) Albrecht DÜRER Works | NGV | View Work 
• Saint Sebastian martyred five times (2018) Nicholas SMITH – Works | NGV | View Work    
• Saint Sebastian, plaquette (1575-1625) SPAIN Works | NGV | View Work 

Nick Cave (b.1959) is a contemporary African-American sculptor, dancer and performance artist. He is well-known for the creation of full-bodied, wearable Soundsuits that meld fashion, dance and sculpture. He began making Soundsuits as an attempt to process the trauma he experienced from the LA Riots in 1992. Fully concealing the body of the wearer, his suits are a metaphorical coat of armour that obscure race, gender, age, sexuality, ethnicity and class.  They allow the wearer to experience complete anonymity and to be viewed without bias or judgement. Bearing some resemblance to African ceremonial costumes, Cave’s Soundsuits are made from everyday materials sourced largely from flea markets, including dyed human hair, plastic buttons, beads and feathers. The name ‘Soundsuits’ refer to their ability to make sound; they rustle and reverberate when worn creating joyous and carnivalesque vibrations.  

Discussion questions:

• How did the 1992 LA Riots influence Cave and inspire him to create these Soundsuits? (Personal Framework) 
• How does this socio-political context of the artwork contribute to its meaning and significance?  (Cultural Framework) 
• What political concerns does Cave encourage us to consider? Are these concerns still relevant today?  (Cultural Framework) 
• How might our own cultural backgrounds influence our interpretation of the artwork? (Cultural Framework) 
• Consider Cave’s use of materials. What symbols or metaphors does he use and how might this contribute to his overall meaning? (Structural Framework) 
• How does the placement of Cave’s Soundsuit in an exhibition like QUEER: Stories from the NGV Collection inform our understanding of his work? (Contemporary Framework) 

Recommended links:  

• Soundsuit (2015) from the Soundsuit series 1992– Nick CAVE Works | NGV | View Work  
• H’nard K’nore G’nang G’near 1995-1997 PACIFIC SISTERS, New Zealand (art collective) Rosanna RAYMOND Works | NGV | View Work 
• The Metropolitan (c. 1988) Leigh BOWERY  Works | NGV | View Work  
• The American Express ® Gold Card dress (1995-1998) Lizzy GARDINER (designer)  Works | NGV | View Work 

Andy Warhol (1928-1987) was an American artist and a leading figure in the Pop Art movement. Pop artists were inspired by popular culture, the media, everyday objects and consumer culture. Warhol often used pre-existing images for his artwork such as Campbell’s soup cans, Coca-Cola bottles and portraits of celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe. The star was a part of Warhol’s Myths portfolio which consisted of ten screenprints showcasing a variety of fictional characters. Warhol invited friends and actors to dress up as well-known characters and pose for him in his studio. Using a Polaroid camera, Warhol captured what he considered to be quintessential American archetypes ranging from Santa Claus to Superman. Here, Warhol idolises the Swedish- American actress Greta Garbo using these Polaroids to create several silkscreens in a variety of colours; the screenprint in the NGV Collection is predominantly red and has also been embellished with diamond dust.  

Greta Garbo wears a spectacular costume created by queer Hollywood designer Adrian for the 1931 film Mata Hari. The headpiece was designed by gay English milliner Philip Treacy. The film was about an exotic dancer executed for espionage during World War One. 

Discussion questions:

• Consider the art elements and art principles, the compositional arrangement of subject matter, and the media, technique and processes used by Warhol. How do they contribute to the meaning/s? (Structural Framework) 
• Consider Warhol’s personal feelings, beliefs and preoccupations. What relationship does The star have to Warhol’s life and his experiences? Investigate and discuss. (Personal Framework) 
• How do you think a contemporary audience would have responded to this work of art? Would this be different from the way we interpret this art today? (Contemporary Framework)  
• How does the work relate to other works by Warhol in the NGV Collection? See recommended links below. (Structural Framework) 
• Why do you think Greta Garbo was an appealing subject for Warhol? Why do you think he chose to depict her in her Mata Hari costume? (Contemporary Framework) 

 Recommended links: 

• Mickey Mouse (1981) from the Myths portfolio Andy WARHOL Works | NGV | View Work  
• Self-portrait no. 9 (1986) Andy WARHOL  Works | NGV | View Work  
• Loti Smorgon (1981) Andy WARHOL Works | NGV | View Work  
• Garbo 2013 PHILIP TREACY, London (millinery house) Philip TREACY (designer) Works | NGV | View Work 
• Greta Garbo 1928 Edward STEICHEN  Works | NGV | View Work 

Dr. Christian Thompson (b.1978) is a Bidjara artist who works across photography, video, sculpture, performance and sound to explore identity, sexuality, gender, race and Australia’s colonial history.  

Othering the ethnologist, Augustus Pitt Rivers, 2015 belongs to a series of works created by Thompson called the Museum of Others. This series was inspired by research undertaken by Thompson at the Pitt Rivers Museum in England. The Museum is named after the English archaeologist and ethnologist Augustus Pitt Rivers whose image features in this work. Pitt Rivers was an influential figure in the development of archaeology and anthropology. In 1884 he founded the Pitt Rivers Museum at Oxford by donating his private collection of ethnographic artefacts to the university. 

In this series, photographs of notable historical figures such as Pitt Rivers are worn as masks, their image reproduced as a placard.  In each work, the eyes of the photographic figure are removed and replaced by Thompson’s own eyes as he holds the placard, inverting the gaze of the historical subject. Here, Thompson challenges established narratives of colonial history and invites audiences to look at such objects and collections of revered figures with a new perspective. By inverting the gaze of the historical subject and placing himself in the centre of the work, Thompson challenges us to rethink the roles of historical figures such as Pitt Rivers who actively participated in the ‘othering’ of first nations people.  

The Pitt Rivers name is also linked to queer histories via Augustus’s great-grandson Michael Pitt-Rivers, who in the 1950s became infamous in Britain when he was put on trial for buggery.  

Discussion questions:

• Consider the original nineteenth century photographic portrait of Augustus Pitt Rivers that Thompson draws our attention to. How is this photograph interpreted from a contemporary point of view? How does this differ from the way it was interpreted when it was made? (Contemporary Framework) 
• What are the symbols or metaphors explored or utilised in the artwork that contribute to the meanings and messages? (Cultural Framework) 
• How have historical or contemporary events shaped the intention of the artist or our understanding of the artwork’s meaning? (Cultural Framework) 
• This work was first exhibited at the Pitt Rivers Musuem in England. How might the original context in which this artwork was placed influence its meaning and purpose? (Contemporary Framework) 
• How does the work’s inclusion in QUEER: Stories from the NGV Collection enrich our understanding of its meaning? (Contemporary Framework) 

Recommended links:  

• Othering the explorer, James Cook 2015; printed 2016
  from the Museum of Others series 2015–16 Christian THOMPSON Works | NGV | View Work 
• Woman in a black dress (2009) Dianne JONES Works | NGV | View Work  
• S & D II (1997); printed (2006) Brook ANDREW Works | NGV | View Work 
• Zinathi I (2015) from the Somnyama Ngonyama series 2015–16 Zanele MUHOLI Works | NGV | View Work  
• Ntozkhe II (Parktown) (2016) from the Somnyama Ngonyama series 2015–16 Zanele MUHOLI Works | NGV | View Work 

Nora Heysen (1911-2003) was a distinguished Australian portrait and still-life painter. She was the first female artist to win the Archibald Prize and was an official war artist during WWII. In her first solo exhibition, Heysen regarded The faun as one of her most significant works. This painting celebrates youth, beauty and sexuality. The young man is dressed in the guise of a faun; a half-human, half-goat mythical creature. Heysen references Roman and Greek mythology in which fauns were symbols of peace and fertility. She also makes parallels to her own contemporary society in which a post-war Australia was seeking resurrection and a ‘return to order’ after the ravages of the war. The light tones used to capture the supple figure are starkly contrasted with the bolt upright trees in the twilight background. Heysen has captured the minute details and contours of the body, paying particular attention to the details on the figure’s face and hands.  

The subject of this painting was Heysen’s friend Kester Baruch, an actor, dramatist and journalist, known for his exuberant and theatrical persona, both on stage and off it. Baruch, who was openly gay visited Heysen’s family home in the Adelaide Hills. There is an amusing account of his visit that describes him cavorting around semi-naked, scandalising Heysen’s conservative mother. 

Discussion questions:

• How has Heysen used art elements and art principles to create meanings and messages in her work? (Structural Framework) 
• Can you see any symbols or metaphors in the artwork that contribute to the meaning? (Personal and Cultural Frameworks) 
• How have historical references shaped the intention of the artist and our own understanding of the The faun’s meaning? (Cultural Framework) 
• How does the choice or presentation of subject matter reflect or challenge artistic traditions? (Contemporary Framework) 
• How does the depiction of Kester Baruch as The faun celebrate queerness? (Contemporary Framework)

Recommended links:  

• Pan (c. 1592) Annibale CARRACCI  Works | NGV | View Work  
• The satyr (1916) Lionel LINDSAY – Works | NGV | View Work  
• Head of satyr, medallion (20th century) WEDGWOOD, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire (manufacturer) Bert BENTLEY (sculptor)  Works | NGV | View Work  
• Bell krater (Campanian red-figure ware)
  350 BCE-340 BCE ITALY, Campania THE BOATING PAINTER (attributed to) Works | NGV | View Work 
• The letter (1926) Agnes GOODSIR Works | NGV | View Work 
• Christine, Queen of Sweden (Christine, Reine de Suede)
  (1654) Robert NANTEUIL Sébastien BOURDON (after) Works | NGV | View Work 
• Kester Berwick | AustLit: Discover Australian Stories 

Australian artist Jeffrey Smart (1921-2013) was a celebrated painter of modern life. His precisely depicted, intensely coloured urban landscapes, evoke a curious world, where human subjects often appear isolated or frozen in time.  Often ambiguous in meaning, Smart’s work challenges viewers to see the world differently, to ask questions of which he rarely provided clear answers for. 

Smart was passionate about the arts; his love of music, literature and history, including works of art from antiquity and the Renaissance, inspired his artistic practice.   

Winter carnival, Viareggio, 1989 features a solitary figure standing in front of a multi-coloured corrugated iron fence. In the background we find the sea, sand and Tuscan city Viareggio. Having spent more than half his life in Italy, Smart’s painting typifies his formal, realistic and existential style. The annual winter carnival in Viareggio has drawn large crowds since 1873. Despite the work’s title, Smart’s painting evokes a sense of stillness even loneliness, in part characterised by the small and isolated figure, a signature feature of his work.  

In an interview late in his life, Smart reflected upon his loneliness as a young queer artist, and the sense of comfort he found in researching queer history. After many years of travelling between Australia and Europe, Smart settled permanently in Italy 1963. He died in Arezzo in 2018 aged ninety-one, with his partner of more than thirty years, Ermes De Zan, at his side. 

Discussion questions:

• Discuss Smart’s use of the art elements and principles. How do they contribute to the meanings and messages of the work? (Structural Framework) 
• What is the distinctive style of the artwork and how does it contribute to the meaning/s of the artwork?  (Structural Framework) 
• What relationship does the artwork have to Smart’s personal life experiences and queer story? What visual evidence supports this reading?  (Personal Framework) 
• How does the experience and background of the viewer affect the interpretation of the artwork? (Personal Framework) 
• How does the inclusion of Smart’s Winter carnival, Viareggio in QUEER: Stories from the NGV Collection inform our understanding of his work? (Contemporary Framework)

Recommended links: 

• Cahill Expressway (1962) Jeffrey SMART Works | NGV | View Work 
• Rooftops (1968-1969) Jeffrey SMART Works | NGV | View Work 
• Bush scene Jane R. PRICE Works | NGV | View Work  
• P No title (Women holding hands in front of graffiti, ‘Lesbians are lovely’ (1973); printed (2018) Ponch HAWKES Works | NGV | View Work 

This elaborately decorated double-spouted ewer recounts a famous story written by the Roman poet Ovid who lived and worked during the reign of Emperor Augustus in 8 CE. In Ovid’s Metamorphoses (a fifteen-book continuous mythological narrative) the story of the water nymph Salmacis and her encounter with the handsome and youthful Hermaphroditus is told. Salmacis, who bathed in a spring near the Greek city of Halicarnassus (today Bodrim, in Turkey) immediately falls in love with Hermaphroditus when she sees him. As Hermaphoditus bathes in Salmacis’ spring, she dives in after him, fusing her body with his, such that they ‘were no longer two, but a single form, possessed of a dual nature which could not be called male or female but seemed to be at once both and neither’. 

During the time this work was made, maiolica was often painted with myths, histories and narratives from the ancient world echoing the intellectual interests of the period. As a luxury item of the wealthy, the work was most likely displayed as a reflection of intellectual learning. Created by the Fontana workshop, which was known for its exquisite craftmanship the work also features the head and breasts of a sphinx at each end, while the handles are in the form of acrobatic satrys peering between their legs.  

Discussion questions: 

• Consider the relationship between the ewer’s form and the depiction of Ovid’s narrative. How does one inform the other? (Structural Framework) 
• What are the symbols or metaphors explored or utilised in the artwork that contribute to the meanings and messages? (Cultural Framework)  
• How do values, beliefs and attitudes reflect the social context of the time the artwork was produced? How do these values, beliefs and attitudes compare to the values of today? (Cultural Framework) 
• How does the placement of the artwork in QUEER: Stories from the NGV Collection, a setting other than the original intended setting add to its meaning and value? (Contemporary Framework) 
• How does this work add to your understanding of Queer history? (Contemporary Framework) 

Recommended links: 

• The four seasons, candlesticks (c. 1765) CHELSEA PORCELAIN FACTORY, London (manufacturer) Works | NGV | View Work 
• Mercury (c. 1765-1770) Derby Porcelain, Derby (manufacturer) England c. 1748–1848 Works | NGV | View Work 
• Apollo and the python (1771) Salomon Gessner Swiss 1730–88 Works | NGV | View Work 
• Psykter amphora (Chalkidian black-figure ware) 540 BCE earthenware Chalkis / ITALY The Inscriptions Painter (attributed to)  Works | NGV | View Work