Sydney Yarnbombing Collective with Jody Toomey
Jody Toomey is a local creative working as a musician and DJ. She works as the producer of the synthpop band Pockets of Sedition as well as doing game audio work. Jody also assists with running Queer Daze. Most recently Jody has been working on the Sydney Yarnbombing Collective, a queer, collaborative street art group that formed this year. While other forms of public art may be expressive, decorative, territorial, socio-political commentary, advertising or vandalism, yarn bombing was initially almost exclusively about reclaiming and personalizing sterile or cold public places. "That said, we do aim to use our installations to raise social awareness of LGBTQ and other socio-political issues".
Current work and inspiration
"Our concept was to collaborate with as many community members as possible to jointly create a colourful, joyous installation. The centrepiece is a large rainbow banner reading 'Pride Square' which we hung together on the side of the Newtown Neighourhood Centre on 15 May 2022. This was a communal piece, to which around 15 members contributed, over several weeks, through design, knitting, crochet, sewing and hanging. The installation will remain in place until the end of June 2022 (pride month).
We were pleased to include several young people in our collective, the youngest of whom, aged 10, created and installed her own individual piece, a blue snake. Our two teenage members were invaluable during the installation, and assisted with social media.
Other features of the display include bunting made of numerous miniature pride flags, which we hung across the Neighbourhood Centre doorway, and a crocheted banner with vibrant rainbow-hued flowers picked out strikingly on a black background. Several Aboriginal flags were included as a mark of respect to Newtown's Indigenous community, past, present and emerging".
'Pride Square' was inspired by two things. The council's motion to rename the area around Newtown Neighbourhood Centre to Pride Square, and the longstanding history of the LGBTQ community in the area. "We wanted to both support and celebrate the council's decision. We wanted to show that the LGBTQ community will not be silenced by the bigoted rhetoric against the transgender community in the popular media".
Our next installation "Kintsukaroi" will be installed in Dulwich Hill in June. Member Catherin J Pascal Dunk's next solo installation will be part of the Coastal Twist Festival in September/October 2022: https://coastaltwist.org.au/event/free-art-exhibition/
Catherin's next solo installation will be revealed at the VIP Launch of the Change Art Exhibition on Tuesday 27 Sep, from 5:30pm to 9 pm. The exhibition opens daily 28 Sep–4 Oct 2022, 9am–4pm at Centred Ceramics, 246 West St, Umina Beach NSW 2257
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