David McDiarmid and Local Queer Stories

Coinciding with the thirtieth anniversary of WA’s Pride Parade, AGWA presents the bright, ironic, playful and scathing poster work of queer artist and activist David McDiarmid.

Created at the height of the AIDS epidemic, the State Art Collection works are presented alongside the iconic Connie's altars in conversation with local stories of the late 1980s and early ‘90s, bringing to the fore the lived experience, tragedy and enormous strength of the local queer community.

The display will be accompanied by the Long Table community discussion held during PrideFest 2020.

Special Event
Long Table - I want a future that lives up to my past

The Long Table discussion—an open, welcoming and inclusive space—presented as part of the public program associated with the ‘I want a future that lives up to my past’ display at AGWA.

Focusing on epidemics, hardships, community, strength and survival of the local queer community, the invited panellists will discuss the context of 1980s and 1990s Perth and what we can take with us into today.

What is the Long Table?
The Long Table discussion format borrows from the idea of a dinner table as a way of generating public conversation. Conceived in 2003 by Lois Weaver in response to the divided nature of conventional panel discussions, the Long Table allows voices to be heard equally and invites members of the public to join in.

Come listen, contribute, and celebrate the strength of our community.

image credit - David McDiarmid Q from the Rainbow Aphorisms series 1994-2012 (detail). Inkjet print on 310 gsm Platine fibre cotton rag, 118.9 x 84.1 cm. State Art Collection, Art Gallery of Western Australia. Purchased through the Art Gallery of Western Australia Foundation: TomorrowFund, 2015. © David McDiarmid, 1994-2012.