Multidisciplinary artist Aaron Billings doesn't produce the type of comics you might be used to. Instead, the inaugural On-Site artist uses narrative as a medium, telling his stories through drawing, ceramics and textile works.
To share his journey into visual storytelling, Aaron, along with comics artist Rachel Ang, cartoonist and Glom Press publisher Marc Pearson and creative writing senior lecturer Elizabeth McFarlane join us for this RMIT Culture Salon on telling stories with more than just words.
Led by Elizabeth, the panel will discuss how they found their way into their practices, the forms they choose to bring their ideas to life, the journey to being published, and ways of sharing and exhibiting beyond publication. Creators and readers alike will expand their knowledge and creativity, gaining an insight into developing ideas and creating compelling visuals.
Our speakers
Rachel Ang is an artist and writer who makes comics. Their work has appeared in many fine publications such as The New Yorker, The Washington Post and kuš! Rachel's first book, Swimsuit (Glom Press, 2018) was probably not read by many people, but those who did really liked it. Their next book, provisionally titled What You Seek (Is Seeking You) will be published by Drawn and Quarterly in 2024. They live on beautiful Wurundjeri/Bunurong Country.
Aaron Billings a multidisciplinary artist working out of Pink Ember Studio in Coburg. His work encompasses comics, quilt making, drawing and painting. He is currently undertaking a PhD with RMIT University exploring queer graphic narratives and perversity. He is allergic to professionalism and seeks out opportunities to be silly, sacred and enraptured. This quote sums it up nicely: "Being taken seriously means missing out on the chance to be frivolous, promiscuous, and irrelevant. The desire to be taken seriously is precisely what compels people to follow the tried and true paths of knowledge production around which I would like to map a few detours."― J. Jack Halberstam, The Queer Art of Failure
Marc Pearson is a cartoonist, printer and publishing person based in Melbourne, Australia. He was a former Art Editor at The Lifted Brow (issues 25- 32). He is currently drawing comics for Orygen Youth Health & co-running a risograph press called Glom Press.
Host Elizabeth MacFarlane is a Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing at University of Melbourne.
