<span class="sqsrte-text-color--darkAccent">Campbell McLean</span>
“this is what i really look like” Exhibition Feature
Campbell McLean (they/she) is a featured artist in this is what i really look like, an exhibition curated by Bean Pecorari at the Brookline Art Center’s Beacon Street Gallery, on view from July 22 to October 28, 2023.
Campbell is a Boston native who explores the diverse facets of queer life. Her alternative perspective challenges common perceptions of contemporary queerness, delving into the essence of her own experience. Campbell has received recognition for her artistic prowess, including the Stephen D. Paine Scholarship (2021) and the George Nick Award (2022). Her evocative portraits have been featured in local exhibitions, such as Alpha Gallery's "New Talent" (2022) and Abigail Ogilvy's "Fresh Faces" (2023).
Tell us about your background as an artist and as a Boston native.
Growing roots in an old and transient city has allowed me to transform into the sardonic and unabashed individual I am today, i.e. a Bostonian. I feel sturdy and inspired in the ebb and flow of the GBA, it takes a lot of radical acceptance to reside here comfortably and I think that has carried over into my artistic process and imagery. The arts here are modestly funded but very accessible. I've always, in some capacity, had space to create and express myself openly to others, under the guise of art.
What is “ART” to you?
It's all subjective, contemporary art is not confined to any standard or rule, it can be anything done with the intent to invoke or anything that invokes, so potentially, everything is art. That being said, I don't like most of the art I'm exposed to. Good art is only good because it's hard to find, and again, it's all subjective.
You often paint scenes of observation from memory, particularly moments of queer gathering and celebration. How has your connection to queer nightlife in Boston impacted your art practice, as well as your own outlook on identity?
Wherever the party is, there is always a cocktail of respect, degeneracy, and love that's unique to the times we live in. I feel compelled to document the queer nightlife here in Boston, it's just what I have to do to play my part and show my appreciation to everyone involved.
In your portrait work, intimate moments are exposed behind an eerily crafted color palette, and viewers may even feel a sense of an impending threat. How does this style of portraiture speak to the sense of authenticity you wish to convey?
A lot of people are threatened by queerness but not by the individual queers themselves. It's my goal to create a body of portraiture that gives power to the individual queer, through the presence they hold or the actions they perform. I'm aiming to caricaturize local queers and place them in situations that are easy to visually digest but vague in meaning and context, leaving space for the viewer to project their own experiences and notions. With nods to both hetero and queer lifestyles I can create varying degrees of discomfort and companionship with the viewer, no matter where they are on the gender spectrum.
What has been the most challenging part of your journey as an artist? And what has been the most rewarding aspect of being a creative, fine artist, and advocate?
It's all a challenge, and it should be. But it's through constant challenge that I'm able to feel engaged with my practice and steady in my progress. My biggest obstacle right now is finding space to show some of my more lewd or distasteful work. Luckily the majority of my work doesn't strictly fall under this umbrella, but it's something I strive for.
My reward for it all comes when I can immortalize a queer person through paint in a way that uplifts them both in image and spirit. I'm often inspired by small moments with friends in which I witness one or more of them become their true unabashed self.