5 minute read
THE POSTMAN AND BROKEN HARTIST
The Postman’s LGBTQ+ visibility project
by Eric Page
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You may have noticed the huge LGBTQ+ icons appearing on public walls around the city over the past few weeks.
Gscene spotted Hunter Florist on St James’s Street has an enormous image of trans DJ Honey Dijon with an accompanying explanatory text by Broken Hartist.
The Sussex Beacon at the bottom of the street has a massive Freddie Mercury mural, sporting a red ribbon and welcoming all to Brighton’s ‘gay village’.
Halfway up the hill, the Prowler shop has a duelling set of pop icons with Grace Jones and Kylie, who you may remember from last year’s Pride festival. There are a few other images scattered around to be discovered. The Postman’s street art has been popping up around the city and particularly in the St James’s Street area. We’ve also clocked a Blondie, Bowie and Martin Luther King. Another large trans mural can be found at the Brighton Dome hoardings on Church Street. It complements the recent Black Lives Matter mural on New Road. Both are supported by the Brighton Dome. Hove seafront’s orange barbecue bins portray a large selection of icons, including Dolly Parton, Whitney Houston and Madonna.
The viaduct on Preston Road is next on the list to have an updated mural on one of its large columns. This will repair the Freddie Mercury piece which was pasted up for last year’s Pride festival. Altogether, The Postman’s icons remind us that we, and our diverse LGBTQ+ community, are everywhere.
The artist has an international reputation but is based in our city. Their work is instantly recognisable with its colourful punk style. Their idea is to place art in our daily lives and celebrate pop culture. The artworks educate, challenge and always entertain. In a year without Pride, Trans Pride or any of the other highly visible public community events which are usually held across Brighton & Hove, it’s important to have some strong sense of visibility on the streets that LGBTQ+ people live on, use and visit. We need to see ourselves represented in a range of ways, and on our own terms. Gscene managed to track down the modest and anonymous group of international artists who make up The Postman Collective and their friends Broken Hartist and asked them a few questions about this current project.
Hi Postman, tell us about your new project...
Why now?
“Since Covid-19, we are aware of the loss of key LGBTQ+ community events and the visibility they provide for LGBTQ+ communities across the UK. The importance of ‘seeing yourself’ on the street and being in the presence of peers is not happening. This is a huge loss to many people and impacts on mental health. Pride and being visible in a safe way is a huge part of the empowerment of Pride events.”
Who do you feature?
“We generally feature pop icons past and present and iconic movie characters. But we have recently diversified our work by featuring key feminist icons, NHS workers and Black Lives Matter-related individuals. Our artwork is positive, carefully positioned, and has an essence of fun at its heart. We believe that public art can be both beautiful and empowering. Last year we joined forces with Brighton & Hove Pride. We hope there is much more to come.”
Who are the trans icons that you’ve used for this project?
“We’ve chosen two trans and non-binary activists and performers. Our friends Broken Hartist have added explanatory words to our murals, describing Amanda Lepore as per her own quote: ‘I really associate glamour with being happy. If you put on high heels and lipstick or get a new outfit, you feel great. It's a celebration of loving yourself, and the whole ritual of it is so great.’ For this design we’ve collaborated with UK photographer Marco Cerrone. said: ‘I am a citizen of the world and a human being. I only want to engage in energy that heals and uplifts people. Of course I have views on things happening in humanity, but I can’t be everything for everybody. My mission as an artist is to bring people together, not separate them’. For this project we collaborated with local TNBI+ community members for ideas. Intersection is at the core of what we do. Visible representation is a very powerful way to support community cohesion and promote diversity. The quality of our designs ensures people see our work as art, which adds cultural weight to the representation of key marginalised groups.”
Why is this important?
“We understand the importance of queer space which is fully inclusive, open to all and accessible regardless of background. With traditional community spaces beyond reach and no cultural spaces open or LGBTQ+ events taking place, it is vital that communities feel visible, cherished and worthy of ‘taking up space’. “We offer an artistic intervention, street art, that is of the moment, inclusive and fun. This allows communities to see themselves represented on the streets, buildings and spaces they use in their everyday lives. In our opinion, public space is for everyone and should have a larger share of positive images of diversity and not just commercial advertising or company logos.”
Who are these artworks for?
“For all TNBI+, QTPoC and LGBTQ+ community, living, working or passing through the city and anyone else who enjoys them. We promote and engage with any community; our work is meant to be visually engaging with the whole city population and its visitors. We would hope that this project offers communities who are
Freddie Mercury @ Sussex Beacon Shop
under-represented a visual reassurance of the public realm being inclusive, especially to trans and non-binary communities and QTIPoC groups who rarely, if ever, see themselves represented in public space. With our artistic icons we bring to the forefront their voices and provide a source of community, connection and emotional support in an engaging way which adds to the cultural fabric of the city and its environment.”
MORE INFO
Check out The Postman and Broken Hartist fully accessible, free-to-enjoy artwork up and down St James’s Street and across the city.
Grab a photo of yourself with one and #thepostmanart and #brokenhartist as well as us @gscene.
For more info, visit https://thepostmanart.com/ /thepostman_art /broken_hartist/
Honey Dijon @ Hunter´s Florists
