The works exhibited in the gallery are versatile, ranging from simple portraiture and landscape to more abstract, dramatic and almost chaotic pieces. One particular art work features haunting words, sentences and even a mobile phone placed in the very centre of the canvas, allowing the viewer to apply their own understanding of this symbolic item, and the words associated.

 

Depending on how one uses words, to cause damage to an individual, or simply to themselves, this is symbolised through a line of female torsos, each one featuring a different message and theme. A stand-out piece featured a punching bag, and boxing gloves dangling from the neck down of the torso, which was covered with words such as “worthless”, “unloved” and “ugly”. The sheer imaginative and creative construction of this piece represents strong themes on self-hate and literally “beating yourself up”. Ultimately, the art pieces featured in this exhibition demonstrate the capabilities art has to communicate a message.

 

How one art piece can say so much with a simple glance is absolutely astounding. It goes to show that visual art is still, and will always be, vital for local communities, and an important stepping stone to recognising the struggles of those that are on the margins of society. The various artists have used visual art as their means to express their innermost and most personal artistic voices, and Art From The Margins have created this space for them.

 

Another piece from this series features the same torso as before, this time with a white embroidered garment draped over half of the body, while the other side reveals blood, cuts and wounds that have words such as “trash”, “stupid” and “useless” scrawled on the exposed skin. It is shocking to see, and painful to take in, but this does not mean that it shouldn’t be seen.

 

Whether it be abstract collages, or the use of words in an artwork, or the line of headless female torsos, that stand as a symbol of a pain too difficult to simply speak of, it goes to show that sometimes, you have to show in order to tell.

 

The 10th anniversary for Art From The Margins this year features in the Brisbane City Hall as part of the Brisbane Festival and runs until Sunday 17th of September.

 

Joanna Letic