From Straight to Gay and Back Again brings together seven paintings produced over a period of four years by one artist working in two genders. Daniel Mudie Cunningham came up with the idea of pairing Christopher Dean’s pink monochromatic text paintings with Christine Dean’s polychrome text paintings forming a single exhibition.
Christine Dean says: After gathering the works together it became apparent that the paintings function as a unit of measure or as a litmus text, mapping out the issues of continuity and rupture in my journey through life as well as in my art practice. Over the years I developed a fascination for pink monochromes. Obviously the colour pink signifies femininity and from an art historical perspective monochrome painting signifies masculinity. After producing pink monochromes for twenty years I became increasingly aware that my main area of interest related to the representation of gender as opposed to sexuality. In 2012 I started producing a new series of polychrome text paintings and the original idea was to explore my interest in the local history of Kings Cross. While conducting the research I realised that my main area of interest was to be found in my suburbs transgender history.
Christine Dean says: After gathering the works together it became apparent that the paintings function as a unit of measure or as a litmus text, mapping out the issues of continuity and rupture in my journey through life as well as in my art practice. Over the years I developed a fascination for pink monochromes. Obviously the colour pink signifies femininity and from an art historical perspective monochrome painting signifies masculinity. After producing pink monochromes for twenty years I became increasingly aware that my main area of interest related to the representation of gender as opposed to sexuality. In 2012 I started producing a new series of polychrome text paintings and the original idea was to explore my interest in the local history of Kings Cross. While conducting the research I realised that my main area of interest was to be found in my suburbs transgender history.
