Behind the Scenes - lgbtiq photography project

Behind the Scenes - lgbtiq photography project 'Behind the Scenes' is a black and white photography project by Robert Knapman on the contemporary lives of LGBTIQ people in Adelaide and South Australia.

The Project:
'Behind the Scenes' is a project by photographer Robert Knapman. Its a fly-on-the-wall black and white photography project looking at the contemporary lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex or queer (LGBTIQ) people in Adelaide and South Australia.

'Behind the Scenes' will also be a public exhibition of photographic images at Adelaide's 2016 LGBTIQ Feast Festival in A

delaide in October and November. The project is a witness to our real and lived experiences in Adelaide today. Its also an exploration of possibility and the lives that can be lived. The images may be serious, sad, fun, quirky, thought-provoking, challenging, sexy, loving or liberating. They all reflect, however, real people and the ways they authentically live. The project hopes to promote visibility and understanding of different LGBTIQ experiences and perspectives which are outside of the more visible young, fit, white, gay male story. It hopes to include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people; people from diverse cultural backgrounds; rainbow families or families of choice; drag and other performers; fetish and kink networks and many others. The LGBTIQ Label:
Clearly, the project does not presume that all LGBTIQ people have similar interests or needs. The term has limitations when applied to a project such as this so is only used selectively and as a reference point. It's important therefore, not to make assumptions about the gender, sexuality or intersex status of anyone in these images. In some cases, information about the subjects may be provided. This will be with the written permission of those involved. The photography:
The project involves black and white photographs. This helps to strip back distractions and invites viewers to see things freshly: a different way of seeing or beIng seen. I find black and white photography can have a timeless feel to it which I think suits this project well. Whilst the stories are set in the present, the images can also be imagined as existing in either the past or the future. The Title:
'Behind the Scenes' is a play on words: being seen or not seen / being scene or non-scene. It's about how we see ourselves; what we let others see about us; how we are actually seen; how we may really want to be seen.

'Scenes' also implies theatre or performance. In a context of marginalisation or prejudice this can be an important and valuable part of our lives. The project reflects the 'performances' or masks that serve us and explores the diverse ways in which they can provide meaning, safety and belonging.

'Scenes' also suggests stages of life or a sequential life. This has a uniqueness for LGBTIQ lives. We can experience life stages very differently when choosing and maintaining loving relationships, safe work places, families or appropriate housing: the social and cultural privileges that impact our life choices and the spaces that we therefore create for ourselves. The Context:
The photos in this project contribute to a story about who we are now in a changing Australian culture. They exist in a very specific political and social context and time. For me this includes the changing awareness, knowledge, acceptance and visibility of gender diversity; the Christian lobby, its political influences and moral posturing; asylum and refugee issues; the legitimacy and value of LGBTIQ families; the threat to programs designed to protect and support young people at school (Safe Schools Coalition); the ongoing debate about marriage equality and love rights (marriage plebiscite); the seismic shift in the meaning and importance of community and belonging; the changing spaces in which we live and play. The Images:
All of the images on this FB page and those in the 2016 Feast exhibition have been taken by me (unless otherwise stated). All are included here and in the exhibition with the permission and agreement of the subjects. These images are copyrighted and any unauthorised use of them is strictly forbidden. All images ©2016-Robert Knapman. If you'd like to know more or if you'd like to get involved i'd love to hear from you. Please feel free to contact me via FB or email me and I'll get back to you: [email protected]

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The Project: 'Behind the Scenes' is a fly-on-the-wall black and white photography project looking at the contemporary lives of all le***an, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex or q***r (LGBTIQ+) people in Australia. Begun in Adelaide in 2016, 'Behind the Scenes' was launched as a public exhibition of photographic portrait images during Adelaide's 2016 LGBTIQ Feast Festival. After moving to Sydney,I am now embarking on the ambitious project of taking Behind the Scenes to regional and outback Australia starting with Broken Hill. The project is a witness to real and lived experiences in Australia today. It’s also an exploration of possibility and the lives that can be lived. The images may be serious, sad, fun, quirky, thought-provoking, challenging, sexy, loving or liberating. They all reflect, however, real people and the ways they authentically live. The project hopes to promote visibility and understanding of different LGBTIQ+ experiences and perspectives which are outside of the more visible young, fit, white, gay male story. It hopes to include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people; people from diverse cultural backgrounds; trans and gender diverse people, rainbow families or families of choice; drag and other performers; fe**sh and kink networks and many many others. The LGBTIQ+ context: The project does not presume that all LGBTIQ+ people have similar interests, needs or lived experiences. The term therefore has limitations when applied to a project such as this. Therefore I use it selectively and as a reference point only. It's important therefore, not to make assumptions about the gender, sexuality or intersex status of anyone in these images or involved in this project. In some cases, information about the subjects may be provided and with the written permission of those involved. The photography: The project to date has involves black and white photographs. For me, this helps to strip back distractions and invites viewers to see things freshly: a different way of seeing or being seen. I find black and white photography can have a timeless feel to it which I think suits this project well. Whilst the stories are set in the present, the images can also be imagined as existing in either the past or the future. The Title: 'Behind the Scenes' is a play on words: being seen or not seen / being scene or non-scene. It's about how we see ourselves; what we let others see about us; how we are actually seen; or how we may really want to be seen. 'Scenes' also implies theatre or performance. In a context of marginalisation or prejudice this can be an important and valuable part of our lives. The project reflects the 'performances' or masks that serve us and explores the diverse ways in which they can provide meaning, safety and belonging. 'Scenes' also suggests stages of life or a sequential life. This has a uniqueness for LGBTIQ+ people’s lives. We can experience life stages very differently when choosing and maintaining loving relationships, safe work places, families or appropriate housing. This also reflects social and cultural privileges that impact our lives and our choices as well as the spaces that we therefore create for ourselves. The Context: The photos in this project contribute to a story about who we are now in a changing Australian culture. They exist in a very specific political and social context and time. For me this includes the changing awareness, knowledge, acceptance and visibility of gender diversity; the influence of various right wing or religious lobby groups, political moral posturing; rights of asylum seekers or refugees; the legitimacy and value of LGBTIQ+ families; the threat to services designed to protect and support young people; the seismic shift in the meaning and importance of community and belonging; and the changing spaces in which we live and play. The Images: All of the images on this FB page and those in the 2016 Feast exhibition have been taken by me (unless otherwise stated). They are included here and in the exhibition with the verbal permission or written agreement of the subjects. These images are copyrighted and any unauthorised use of them is strictly forbidden. If you'd like to know more or if you'd like to get involved i'd love to hear from you. Please feel free to contact me via FB, instagram or email me and I'll get back to you: [email protected]