Queer Views: New Perspectives on the Collection
Queer Views: New Perspectives on the Collection is an annual exhibition exploring a selection of artworks from the Art Gallery of Ballarat’s collection through a queer lens. Each year three members of the local LBGITQA+ community are asked to choose three works from the collection to respond to through their own experiences and understanding.
Queer Views: New Perspectives on the Collection, 2024
Queer Views: New Perspectives on the Collection was the inaugural Queer Views exhibition in 2024. It was both an online exhibition and on display in the Art Gallery.
Our participants were writer Vanessa Bowen, performer Em Chandler and drag queer Gabriella Labucci.
2025 Queer views II New Perspectives on the Collection
In 2025, Queer Views returned for an online exhibition only, due to the fact that the Gallery was closed for renovations.
Our participants were writer Dr Sophie Pilbeam (she/her), Flynn Davis (they/them) and Meghan Aponte (she/her).
Dr Sophie Pilbeam
The sewing machine by John Brack
John Brack’s best-known work, Collins St, 5 pm, depicts people alone and alienated as part of a huge, mostly male crowd of workers. The Sewing Machine, painted the same year, shows the opposite; a single female figure working in an empty room. Feminised labour is often dismissed, devalued, and made invisible, so the depiction of the woman struck me; she is focused, angular, and lost in her work, but also alone, without a domestic or familial context. The work of sewing is depicted as the work of sewing, not an essentialised feminine part of her nature.
John Brack
The sewing machine
1955
oil on canvas
106.3 x 65.0 cm, frame: 118.8 x 67.8 x 4.5 cm
Purchased with funds from Aubrey HL Gibson, 1957
© Helen Brack
Head by Barbara Brash
The fractured head surrounded by irregular fragments of pink and blue is how I, and many of my trans friends, have seen ourselves. People sometimes ask how I felt before I properly saw myself, and the truth is that I don’t remember most of it – there are impressions, places, and objects, but they’re vague things floating in a void, broken by solid streaks of anxiety. It’s easier for me to conceptualise and articulate now that I have an alternative existence to compare it to.
Barbara Brash
Head
Circa 1955
linocut on papersheet: 51.0 x 38.3 cm [irreg]
Gift of Elizabeth Cross, 2018
Image courtesy of the Brash family
Lilith by Janet Beckhouse
The figure of Lilith is the coalescence of multiple traditions of devil-women, female vampires, witches, and supernatural temptresses. Janet Beckhouse works these motifs into the sculpture. Here, Lilith is sat naked in leaves and flowers, and wrapped in a snake, suggesting her role as an alternate, rebellious Eve who refuses to obey Adam. Lilith’s name is sometimes translated as ‘screech owl’, and she is sometimes likened to a nocturnal predator, snatching children in the dark. Posed sitting upright, not reclining or draping herself, she, the garden, and the animals reveal themselves to be a single knot.
Janet Beckhouse
Lilith
2018
stoneware, glaze, lustre
24 x 17cm
Purchased with funds from the Hilton White Bequest, 2021
© Estate of the artist
Flynn Davis
The Boy Friend by Fred Williams
This depiction of the drag and trans community is wonderful to see especially from artwork created in 1956. It is a lovely reminder to me that trans people have always existed even if we had to blend into the crowd or had to hide behind closed doors. It reminds me of the stories of connected houses and lavender marriages where couples present as a heterosexual but are secretly dating another. I see liberation, I see freedom and I see two divas having the time of their life in the clothes that best describe who they are on the inside.
Fred Williams
The Boy Friend
1956
etching, aquatint, engraving, drypointplate: 200 x 160 mm
Purchased, 1974
© Estate of Fred Williams
The Golden Calf by Arthur Boyd
Chaos, community, and calves. This reminds me of an ant colony however the queen ant is depicted by the golden calf and the army ants are these hobbit-looking creatures that are trying to make society function. It is a craze of so many different stories which is symbolic to me of how we don’t have one story as a community. There are so many people and stories to be told that you can get lost for hours imagining what life would be like. Two hobbit creatures are weeping at the bottom of the artwork. Something about how they’re holding each other struck home for me and made me think of my queer friends, especially the ones who have held me in my lower times in life.
Arthur Boyd
The Golden Calf
1946
oil and tempera on composition board
84.0 x 89.0 cm
Purchased with funds from the Colin Hicks Caldwell Bequest and the Ferry Foundation, 1995
© Reproduced with permission of the Bundanon Trust
Yard scene - 29 Cuthberts Road, Alfredton by Garry Anderson
Immediately, I am reminded of some of the dingy house parties I got to attend in university; the countless D-and-Ms held within sheds, the dancing on the lawns and the drinking games we played with clotheslines and camping tables. It just makes me reminisce of times that, in hindsight, felt simpler, easier and a little bit more carefree. Now that I am older, these memories strike me with a sense of mourning of a younger self, someone who had the privilege to be carefree and make reckless decisions.
Garry Anderson
Yard scene - 29 Cuthberts Road, Alfredton
2003
oil on board76.4 x 103.8 cm (sight
)Purchased, 2003
© Garry Anderson
Meghan Aponte
The black cloak by Napier Waller
Waiting in Black
She stands nearby their leafless tree / Where once they kissed in secrecy / Wind moves bending the winter shade / Vows recalled where they were made;
A letter came, then none again / Just silence to remember them / She still stands, constant and true / Heart aflame with world askew;
The tree recalls their breathless song / Though days are dull and nights are long / She whispers longing to the bark / In brightest day and darkest dark;
Once again dusk begins to fall, / She swears she hears a soft footfall. / A voice, her name, so clear, so near, / Her wife returned, at last, is here.
Napier Waller
The black cloak
1925
linocut on paper
31.8 x 21.4 cm (Sheet)
Purchased, 1976
© The Trustees of the Waller Estate
South Yarra view from the park by Valerie Albiston
Home Along the South Yarra
Wind curled through the street as Nora and Elle walked slowly, shoulders brushing, hands weighed down by groceries. Pale clouds hint at rain, crowning the nearby church whose steeple was merely a sign they were near home. A crush at the door of their house squishes bread and crumbles Tim Tams. Laughter bubbles from both women as they delight in their picturesque life, enflowered by the Australiana of eucalyptus and Melbournian life of the South Yarra.
Valerie Albiston
South Yarra view from the park
Circa 1940
oil on board
52.7 x 45.8 cm (sight)
Gift of Valerie Albiston under the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program, 2002
© Courtesy of the Artist's Estate
Self portrait with ghosts by Wendy Sharpe
Sandra’s Ghost
In 1959, Sandra Willson, a young lesbian from Sydney, lived under the shadow of a society that criminalised her identity. Her then-partner left after police involvement. Sandra retaliated in protest, fatally shooting a taxi driver in desperation to make society suffer with her. Determined not guilty and declared insane for her sexuality, she was institutionalised for years and subjected to electro-convulsive therapy meant to ‘cure’ her lesbianism. Freed in the 1970s, Sandra’s history of persecution, public judgement, and torture stayed with her. Did ghosts of murder and torture ever stopped clinging to her, like the figure in this painting?
Wendy Sharpe
Self portrait with ghosts
2022
oil on wood, found frame
image: 40 x 30cm
frame: 66.7 x 44.3 cm
Purchased with funds from the Colin Hicks Caldwell Bequest, 2022
Copyright Wendy Sharpe2022
2025 participants
Dr. Sophie Pilbeam
Dr. Sophie Pilbeam
Dr. Sophie Pilbeam
Dr. Sophie Pilbeam (she/her) is a Ballarat native who is active in the local LGBTIQA+ community, having recently worked with Transgender Victoria to help run the Ballarat Affirmation Station, and given a public talk on the upcoming Queer Goldfields project. Sophie previously directed Ballarat community television show LaNCE TV, and has been involved in recording and broadcasting regional LGBTIQA+ events including Trans Day of Visibility, Chillout, and the Festival of Australian Queer Theatre. She holds a PhD in social science from Swinburne University, and is currently studying Community Services at Federation University.
Flynn Davis
Dr. Sophie Pilbeam
Dr. Sophie Pilbeam
Flynn Davis (they/them) is a queer actor who has an immense passion for Australian performing arts. Growing up amongst the farmland in Cowwarr, Flynn found every opportunity to immerse themself in all things theatre. Flynn has performed in a range of works including the Australian musical Tribe (character of ManBoy, directed by Anthony Crowley) and Welcome to Thebes (character of Tiresias, directed by Kim Durban). Since University, Flynn has joined the queer children’s fairy tale show The Story Keepers (character of Arly, directed by Em Chandler) as well as recently starting their own Ballarat-based theatre company called The Wanderers Theatre where they performed in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (character of Bottom, directed by Jack Smith).
Meghan Aponte
Dr. Sophie Pilbeam
Meghan Aponte
Meghan Aponte (she/her) is a Bachelor of Arts student and emerging writer whose work is rooted in a deep commitment to storytelling and representation. She is passionate about amplifying LGBTQIA+ voices through both fiction and nonfiction. She currently contributes to the Queer Goldfields project, where her work celebrates identity, history, and community resilience. Recognised for academic excellence, Meghan has been inducted into the Golden Key Honour Society, reflecting her dedication to both scholarship and creative expression. With a growing body of work and a clear vision, Meghan is carving out a space where queer narratives are both heard and celebrated.
Vanessa Bowen
Who Conquers Fear by Norman Lindsay
My favourite part of this painting is the lusciousness of the women’s bodies. They look strong and positively juicy. The central figure is confident and assured, completely in command despite being nude among a crowd of people. She knows in her bones how amazing she is, she owns her beauty and strength.
There’s a deep sensuality to this painting that I can’t ignore. The skin of the revelers seems to glow from within, their clothing has such texture. You can almost smell the smoke from the burning ruins in the background. This looks like one heck of a party.
Norman Lindsey
Who Conquers Fear
1945
Oil on canvas
The Rose by Thea Proctor
I was shocked to learn that this piece is nearly 100 years old. The bold, berry shades and strong lines look so modern that I was fooled into thinking The Rose is much newer than it is.
The romance of this work is what stands out to me. The tenderness of two heads bowed together, the gentle expression in the eyes of the woman on the right as she offers the rose. The flush of warmth on their cheeks. There’s an intimacy here, a closeness more than mere proximity.
Thea Proctor
The rose
1927
Hand coloured woodcut on paper
The Conversation by George Bell
Upon seeing this painting, my immediate thought was “This gentleman has struck up a conversation with this woman, completely oblivious to the fact that she’s here with her girlfriend”. The knowing expression on the woman in black seems to say, “He’s barking up the wrong tree”.
The painting subtly suggests intimacy between the two women – there’s proximity and physical contact, but distance between them and the gentleman. The woman in yellow wears only one glove, on the hand closest to the gentleman. Her bare hand is nearest her companion, perhaps a wink to her willingness to be vulnerable with her.
George Bell
The Conversation
1910
Oil on canvas
Em Chandler
The Man in Black by Napier Waller
This is a picture of me. Or at least a version I tried to be. Debbonaire, refined, the right sort of man. Happy, I guess. Everything was considered. Attire and smile, the scarf draped unevenly, the crowd placed at a distance. The colourful, excitable crowd. The clothes, shadow-like, make him stand out… but he’s trying to hide everything; making the world muted. Look closely at his face, do you see it? I think it’s a tear.
The first time I saw this artwork in the flesh, the curator said, “It needs some conservation”. Turns out I needed some conservation too.
Napier Waller
The man in black
1925
Linocut on paper
Portrait with Flowers (after WB Gould) by Milan Milojevic
“wild dances”
standing on the precipice
I am terrified
scared
unsure
what will happen
from this great mountain top
I can see the valley below
filled with wild flowers
soft green grass
warm and inviting
sun gleaming
calling me to dance
but I hesitate
I won’t know
what’s ahead
until I take
the first step
step
into the unknown
hear the longing
calling me
to see myself
and join the wild dance
This poem was first published by #enbylife Journal
Milan Milojevic
Portrait with flowers (after WB Gould)
2019
Archival pigment print on paper
A love story by Emmanuel Phillips Fox
The sun kissing my arms, my face, my legs, I couldn’t stop spinning. Turning to a waltz only the cicadas could hear. Even lying in the shade, the dance went on. I was wearing a dress.
I was wearing a dress.
My eyes closed in the warm sun, savouring the moment; crystalising it in my mind forever. A content smile permeates my whole being. This was who I really was. A secret I had long known but had remained unspoken. And it would remain unspoken for a time.
But in this moment, this girl just gets to be.
Emmanuel Phillips Fox
A love story
1903
Oil on canvas
Gabriella Labucci
Eyes Everywhere by Deborah Klein
I spy with my little eye an artwork of a head in the sky. At that altitude I'm surprised it's dry. when sad i wonder how many tears they'd cry. Perhaps this being is a little shy...or maybe they're high?
I'm not one to pry.
bye.
Deborah Klein
Eyes Everywhere
1997
Linocut on paper
The Shadow by Noel Counihan
viewing this piece my mind goes to symbolism immediately. This "average man" with an ominous shadow behind could be symbolic of invisible illness. Everything may seem average and normal on the surface but real hardships are those which follow. invisible illness and disabilities are real. never assume something based on appearances.
Noel Counihan
The shadow
1986
Lithograph on paper
Glass of Wine by Robert Dickerson
i feel like i know these people... gossips, dishing the latest about their local scene.
complaining. whinging. blaming. criticizing. judging. scrutinising... all the while offering zero contribution to the community they claim to be proud to be part of.
I wonder if the wine was a nice drop.
Robert Dickerson
Glass of Wine
1999
Hand coloured lithograph on paper
2024 participants
Vanessa Bowen
Gabriella Labucci
Vanessa Bowen
Vanessa Bowen (she/her) is a proud bisexual woman. She moved to Ballarat in 2018 and was thrilled to find her place in the rainbow community here. Vanessa is a counsellor who runs her own private practice called Fairy Wren Counselling. She is also a published author, a crochet-obsessed cat-lady and a voracious consumer of books and films.
Em Chandler
Gabriella Labucci
Vanessa Bowen
Em Chandler (she/they) is a proud queer/trans storyteller, theatre-maker, and magician. She primarily makes work for, and works with, kids and their adults, connecting through imagination, wonder, and play. Audiences have described her work as “a boost for the soul”, and the Sydney Morning Herald calls Em "pure enchantment".
Gabriella Labucci
Gabriella Labucci
Gabriella Labucci
Gabriella Labucci is a force to be reckoned with in the world of cabaret and drag performance. The runner up of RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under season 3 can be found all over Australia but predominantly across regional Victoria. Her talents include but are not limited to drag, singing, dancing, roller skating, modelling, hosting, and acting.
She has a heart of gold and a unique sense of humour and style.