These are the images I took as an accredited event photographer at The Huxley’s Stitch n Bitch workshop as part of their ‘Bloodlines’ exhibition showing through the Midsumma Festival on Saturday 3rd February, 2024. Inspired by the AIDS quilts from the 80’s and 90’s, this communal quilt making workshop invites you to transform images of artists and loved ones who were lost to HIV/AIDS into decorative panels that add to a queer history... never to be forgotten. The event also included a panel with influential First Nation’s voice from the LGBTQIA+ community, Jacob Boehme. Midsumma Festival is (so-called) Australia’s premier LGBTAIQ+SB arts and cultural festival.
A human in a long green flowing top with a tiger face printed on it has their back to the camera. This is Garrett Huxley.
Garrett Huxley looks at the camera as a human in a long silky black coat that has the zodiac signs sequined across it stands with their back to the camera. The human in the zodiac coat is Will Huxley.
Will Huxley stands facing the camera as he addresses a standing audience.
Will Huxley points to a wall covered in a memorial quilt. Rectangles memorialising rainbow artists who died during the AIDS epidemic. In the foreground stands a large neon pink and sherbet orange outfit with a small statue of David in the headdress.
The Huxleys stand with their art, talking to an audience.
Garrett Huxley smiles and stands slightly with his back turned from the camera. In the background is the partial image of two humans in matching glittery red body-hugging outfits with protruding phalluses coming out of the costumes.
Black and white image of a group of humans standing around in a darkened room. On the wall behind them a video is projected, the screen is frozen with the face of a Black artist, Willi Ninja.
Garrett Huxley leans over work tables that are covered in rectangular cloths featuring the names and faces of rainbow artists. Various humans work over their chosen cloths and either sequin or stitch them.
A tray full of sequins is blurred in front of a cloth featuring a young human. Some green sequins have been glued to the cloth.
A human in a pink dress stands holding a phone out over other humans whilst taking a photograph of them working on a memorial cloth.
White dongs and lit candles are lined up alternating against a cracked and peeling wall with industrial brackets screwed in. They unintentionally appear to be upside down crosses.
A human smiles whilst holding a microphone. This is LGBTQIA+SB indigenous artist, Jacob Boehme.
The Huxleys sit cross-legged whilst smiling and holding microphones.
A human leans over a memorial fabric, sewing beads onto the cloth.
A memorial fabric features gold sequins shining away from a rainbow artists face on the cloth.
The Huxleys and Andrew Boehme sit cross-legged, smile and hold microphones.