SameSame.com.au ~ Inside Out Australia

It’s a sunny Friday afternoon in Sydney and Same Same photographers Morgan Carpenter and Paul McDonald are taking a break on the balcony of Paul’s inner-city terrace. As we pour over test prints and sip champagne they talk of their upcoming photographic collaboration Sub•cul•ture and the thoughts and desires underpinning it.

In another room a housemate of Paul’s is slipping into drag for a Moonlight Cinema screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. He races in resplendent in fishnets, knee high fuck-me boots, a red feather boa and g-string. “Oh you look fabulous darl!” squeals Paul excitedly. The flatmate says goodbye and walks outside to hail a cab, much to the surprise of the curious onlookers at the café across the road. Judging by the looks on their faces it’s the most exciting thing they’ve seen all day, but in this house it’s just another Friday afternoon.

Sub•cul•ture is an exhibition that explores the fabric of gay Sydney through photographs. Paul and Morgan have spent many months shooting a variety of people in their element, whatever that may be. When asked what it is that they’re trying to capture, Morgan sums things up beautifully.

“It’s about who we are and how we are. It’s not just about partying and clubbing, it’s friendship, it’s love, it’s home, it’s all that other stuff.”

“We’re capturing diversity,” adds Paul. “The community has so many different pockets and people often stay within their own corners. I suppose we want the exhibition to feel like peering through windows.”

For Paul, he not only wants to celebrate the people that make our community so unique, he also wants to raise awareness.

“I’d really like to see more awareness out there in the community, more of an appreciation for diversity, instead of everyone just sticking to their own lives,” says Paul. “The other day Justice Kirby passed me in the street and I said ‘oh, there’s Michael Kirby’ and a gay guy within earshot asked, ‘Who’s Michael Kirby?’ I was floored. I thought to myself, ‘how can someone be gay in this city and not know who Justice Kirby is? The man has done so much.’ For a gay person not to recognise him is just appalling. Some people simply aren’t aware of those who are out there fighting for our rights. I mean, look at John Challis, he’s still an activist and he’s 80 years old! Look at transgender activist Norrie May Welby, she’s actually out there saying something. She once described transgender people as the ‘niggers of the gay community’, I’ve never forgotten that. Some people are so complacent – they will get these rights but they won’t know where they came from. I want to help change that.”

While Sub•cul•ture hangs on the walls of the Oxford Hotel throughout the Mardi Gras season, it officially launches on Wednesday February 18 with a Same Same Culture Club party featuring DJs Mandy Rollins, Seymour Butz and Johan Khoury, as well as a performance by Dallas Dellaforce.

“We like these people, we like what they do, we like what they’ve done for the gay community – they put on an awesome party but they also give something back,” says Paul.

“I’ve been photographing Sydney’s scene for over two years now, so I think I’m in a pretty good position to be able to judge,” says Morgan. “There’s something about Dirty, Kooky and Rising that’s vastly different. They’re diverse, they’re interesting and they have character.”

Paul and Morgan count their own differences as one of the exhibition’s strengths.

“Morgan and I have known each other for a while now. I knew he was this amazing photographer out there documenting the scene, whereas my experience was in the studio. We had a mutual admiration of each other’s work and skills – we realised it made a lot of sense to work together.”

“I loved the way Paul captured the vibe when he shot Brighton Pride for Same Same last year, that’s when I thought we should work together. I knew we’d both learn a lot, and we have,” says Morgan.

“In the studio you’re in complete control of the situation, the lighting, the subject,” says Paul.”Whereas when you’re out in the scene taking shots everything is constantly changing – the lighting, the moments you’re capturing.”

“Yes, in the scene you’re capturing, in the studio you’re creating,” Morgan points out. “It’s totally different.”

I cast my eye over the test prints laid before us and it becomes very apparent that despite all of the differences, Paul and Morgan are two people who definitely meet beautifully in the middle.

Sub•cul•ture opens from 7pm Wednesday 18 February at Mardi Gras Festival Bar, The Supper Club, upstairs at The Oxford Hotel, Oxford St, Darlinghurst, with an opening night party featuring Seymour Butz, Mandy Rollins, Johan Khoury and Dallas Dellaforce. Entrance to the launch party is by a gold coin donation to Mardi Gras. It can be seen throughout the Mardi Gras season and all work is for sale.

This is a Same Same Culture Club Event. Click here to join the Same Same Culture Club.