Meet the Artist: Nich Corbett
In preparation for Wild Goose Creative’s March 2019 Gallery Show — Fool’s Paradise, we sat down with the artist Nich Corbett to discuss the show.
Fool’s Paradise is a psychedelic fantasy charged with emotional images that celebrate gay culture. The beauty of male homosexuality is explored through mystical settings and hyper fantastical worlds. Nich Corbett’s collection of photographs explore the realms of masculine and feminine sexuality. Use of dramatic lighting conveys a world of hyper fantastical, mythological homoeroticism. Images inspired by themes in mythology, fantasy and unconventional literature.
Which folklores inspired this body of work most heavily?
I was inspired mostly by the tone of specific folklore, in a way the photographs are telling their own story. A story inspired by Icarus burning in the sun, Persephone left behind in the underworld, Adonis’ heartbreak or Khnumhotep and Niankhkhmum’s love story. I wanted to create a world where men were free to express themselves in a sexually romantic way.
Why do you think it is important to depict the softer side of masculinity?
Men are taught to stay tough. Do not cry. Do not express yourself. It’s important to show that being a man doesn’t mean being tough, it can also mean being vulnerable and showing the gentle side.
How does your work challenge the expectations of what it means to be a man?
I’m not sure if I want it to “challenge” any kind of expectations — I guess I want it to expand the expectations. It’s hard to find art with a naked man showing a vulnerable side compared to the abundance of beautiful women posing for art. There’s an awesome explosion of artists showing men in a light that most people aren’t used to seeing and it’s amazing.
What do masculinity and femininity mean to you?
They don’t mean anything to me.
What are you celebrating about queer identities through this work?
I wanted to celebrate the beauty of gay sexuality. Gay sex is beautiful. It shouldn’t be frowned upon, it should be celebrated. Making love or falling in love is enchanting — it doesn’t matter who’s doing it.
Join us for the opening reception of Fool’s Paradise on Saturday, March 2nd, 6–9pm.
