First there were rainbows—they came first. Then there were flags, then came fashion, last I’m pretty sure. The rainbow flag came next of course, but probably thousands of years later. And they've been in and out of fashion ever since. Jerry said “clothes make a statement”, and I think he’s right.
Rainbows always make a statement, like God or whatever saying [—T H I S— ]. Their presence is a statement. Like a gathering of people is a statement, a protest say, or a parade.
Flags make statements, but it’s always like, “This Place”. It’s a claim. Wherever it is, it’s claiming space for This Place, This State - “over here!” Clothes are flags in that they claim a state too, like a state of being. It’s like a moving state of being. The clothes and objects in this exhibition make a claim for what—what has stuck to us that we didn’t expect? What we've bumped into, that has torn us up a little? How we’re often a bit off kilter? How this world has us all a little shocked, a little wobbly? These clothes and all these works are silently loud like that. Like the shock face emoji. It’s the response to societal overload, what strength we have to respond, however feebly, what we’re probably all walking around with anyway. Maybe it’s time we wear it on the outside. Loud and proud. Like a rainbow. Like a flag. Like fashion.
