I am Danny Jarratt, an emerging artist who utilises painting and post-painting methods to explore the relationship between queerness and video games.
My practice is both political and shaped by personal experience. As a queer child growing up in a heteronormative society, I always felt 'othered.' I dealt with this alienation by diving deep into the fantastical world of video games. My practices explore how video games can be read as a queer space, often existing outside heteronormativity with different laws and social norms.
I explore queer space and video games with painting. Painting is often associated with seriousness and historical authority. Meanwhile, video games have preconceived notions as a low-grade form of commercial entertainment. I choose to use painting as my medium because I enjoy dichotomy and comedy with these overlapping concepts. Therefore, I create seriously considered paintings, informed by queer academic theories, using cartoonish video games motifs.
I graduated from the University of South Australia with a Bachelor of Art & Design (Honours) and recently completed artist residencies at George Street Studios and Praxis Artspace.
My practice has been exhibited locally at FELTspace, MOD., Praxis Artspace, Fontanelle Gallery and The Adelaide Festival Theatre. I recently undertook my first interstate solo exhibition at Seventh Gallery, Victoria. Simulations I have had international features in group exhibitions in Greece, North America and England, and I am a finalist in the STARV'D Art Prize in Singapore.