Pride, Peace, Love by Aaron McGarry
Hurstville Interchange Open Air Gallery
Installed: June 2019 – Removed: August 2019 (Temporary)
Aaron McGarry is a multidisciplinary artist working and living in the Georges River area. Born in Taree NSW, Aaron studied at the National Art School in 2004 and at the University of Newcastle in 2016-2017. He feels a strong connection to environmental, political and social issues and aims to engage with these topics through his art.
McGarry has worked with several councils and festivals to engage communities about various issues surrounding recycling and waste impact on endangered species, as well as topics such as multicultural diversity and social change. As an LGBTQIA advocate and proud gay man, inclusivity, connection and pride feature prominently in Aaron’s artworks.
Aaron chose the native Australian Rainbow Lorikeet as the main emblem for the ideology of Pride, Peace, Love. Birds are a familiar part of everyday life and represent hope, power, and peace. They rise above our urban concrete landscapes and remind us of what is rapidly disappearing from our planet. Birds also display homosexual behaviour in sex, courtship, affection, pair bonding, and parenting. With no head, body or tail to the bird, it is intended for the viewer to participate and become those missing elements by standing themselves directly in the frame to be photographed.
Hurstville Museum & Gallery 