WELCOME TO THE FIRST REBECCA SWAN NEWSLETTER
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Zan McKendree-Wright,
2004 |
It has been a fantastic time seeing my latest book, Assume
Nothing launched in New Zealand and Australia. Although I
didn’t launch it personally in Europe, many people from there have
sent me feedback expressing how the book has made a difference to
their lives, which is hugely rewarding.
We launched in Auckland in August 2004. It was the first of four
launches and was one of the most memorable nights of my life.
The magnificent Georgina Beyer opened the event. Beyer, who
appears in Assume Nothing, is the first openly
trans-gendered Member of Parliament in the world. In her opening
speech, she said: “New Zealand should be proud of such an important
and beautiful publication being produced here and standing proudly
on the world stage.”
In February of this year, Georgina Beyer introduced a bill to the
New Zealand parliament, making it illegal to discriminate against
someone on the grounds of their gender identity. This private
members bill is due to have its next Reading 11th August 2005. If
you would like to support this bill you can visit http://www.agenda.co.nz/. As
such a person of significance for the community, it was an honour
and privilege for the project to be supported by her.
Following the opening, we had a selection of the images from the
book projected 4 stories high on the face of an inner city building.
This was a very powerful antidote to the invisibility that has been
experienced by many of the people in the book. The projected images
heralded the beginning of the performances.
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Megan, 2004 |
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Jack Byrne, 2004 |
The live performances included two people from the book; Stacey,
who is Fa’afafine, did a beautiful Samoan Siva in traditional
costume and Megan, who presented a performance art piece called
In Between.
Megan’s piece explored the fluidity of gender identity and she
collaborated with choreographer Brian Carbee and computer animator
Richard Swan (who, incidentally, is my twin) to create a unique
performance piece that was spellbinding.
The two other performances also explored gender issues. Jack
Byrne, created a poignant spoken word piece called On
Reflection. Jack’s performance, which was stunningly moving and
provocative, evoked the emotional journey of his experience as a
trans-guy.
Zan McKendree-Wright presented a drag twist on a classic Carmen
aria. A mix of her live vocals with a stunning break beat backing
track from Kog Transmission, her piece titled Carman got
the crowd pumping.
The performances were concluded with speeches by six of the
people from the book. Lynx, Frankie, Mani, Ema, Karen and Megan
spoke standing in front of their images from Assume
Nothing. To have them there, speaking about their experience of
gender identity, really grounded the evening in what it was all
about. It was very powerful.
It was televised by a New Zealand production Queer Nation, a
programme that covers all matters and articles of interest to the
queer community. The launch was a unique celebration of gender
diversity through performance and it rocked my world!
Assume Nothing was also presented in Wellington in
September 2004, supported by Unity Books and introduced by Mani
Bruce Mitchell.
Mitchell, a participant in the book, is the founder of the
Intersex Society of New Zealand. We also had speeches from Jack
Byrne and Fuimaono Karl Pulotu-Endemann. Karl is in the book and
identifies as Samoan, Fa’afafine and fabulous! Karl graced the
occasion with his sublime voice. It was a rare gathering of the
various gender communities (Fa’afafine, transguys, transwomen, drag
kings and queens and intersex people).
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Mark Higginson, 2004 |
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Carmen Rupe, 2004 |
In Sydney , September 2004, the launch of Assume Nothing
took place in one of the most prestigious photographic
galleries in Australia, the Australian Centre for Photography.
Again, we had Megan, Jack and Zan performing their shows. Local
Sydney talent, Mark Higginson, who is in the book, also presented a
cuttingly witty drag piece as a doll in a toyshop, called Gender
Non Specific.
Additionally, we had five of the people from the book speak in
front of their images; Rusty, Norrie, Carmen, Mark and Megan.
The launch, along with work by famous Australian and
International artists, was part of the And Something More
festival, an event to celebrate the 30th birthday of The Australian
Centre For Photography. The Assume Nothing launch took
claim to the largest audience of all the festival events!
The long-standing King Vic, the Drag King Club in Melbourne, also
embraced Assume Nothing. The title was launched amidst the
revelry of Drag King performances in September 2004.
A SELECTION OF MEDIA REVIEWS OF Assume Nothing
Blue Magazine, Australia (Issue 52 September
2004)
Since the mid 90's Swan has been photographing
members of the gender queer community. But these intimate, mostly
nude portraits reveal more than their challenging bodies. With the
inclusion of quotes from the subjects, they are as much
psychological studies as they are physical depictions.
Diva Magazine, UK (February 2005)
Beautiful
black and white photographs of people who stretch the boundaries of
gender, from top US drag king Dréd (pictured as both girl and boy)
to a Samoan chief called Karl who has the body of a man and the
spirit of a woman – known as fa’afafine in the local tradition. All
tell their own stories in the text that accompanies Swan’s
portraits, which are artful in every meaning of the word.
Inspiring.
The New Zealand Herald 21 August 2004
A
Different Kind of Courage – Extraordinarily moving, this lovely book
is a black and white photographic exploration of ‘The experience of
gender across cultures, nations and generations’, including several
NZ subjects (Swan herself is an Aucklander). Check your own ‘primal
reactions to difference’ (as Mani, a hermaphrodite, puts it). No one
could read this book without being stunned at the courage with which
many of these people live their lives. Swan’s photos appear very
much a partnership with their subjects, revealing with great grace
and honour, the particular humanity, as well as considerable style,
of these people of fluid gender.
"I’ve lived with Assume Nothing night and day for
eight years while it was being created. Putting a book out into
the world feels a bit like my child has left home. Now it’s out
there, I don’t know who it’s going to meet, challenge, inspire,
upset or empower on its travels. All I can do is trust that it is
on its own journey doing what it needs to be doing in the
world."
Thanks for your interest and support. Please invite your friends
to register to this
newsletter (produced quarterly).
If you know of, or have, a website that you think would benefit
from linking to my site please contact me. I also welcome any
comments, responses or queries about my work. Please feel free to
email me on rebecca@rebeccaswan.com It’s always great to get
feedback.
In the next newsletter, due out October ’05, I will profile my
latest series of work.
I look forward to writing to you again then.
Rebecca Swan
Don't forget to check out the Assume Nothing show
reel
Thanks to the Australian Centre for Photography for the use
of the images from the Australian book launch.
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