'Camp with Me' imagines a queer romance between William Lygon, the 7th Earl of Beauchamp and 20th Governor of New South Wales, and poet Henry Lawson. When outed, Beauchamp was exiled to Europe after King George V remarked, “I thought men like that shot themselves.” Blending archival material, ballroom dance, video and hand-drawn animation, the work slips between fact and fantasy, rumour and romance. At its centre is a waltz, choreographed with queer ballroom company Lead and Follow, allowing Beauchamp a moment of queer love. The work imitates and uses archival materials while reframing national icons through humour and desire. In this work drawing is a tool for reframing the past and imagining alternate queer futures.

Todd Fuller
Camp With Me, 2025
Digital video: chalk, charcoal and ink animation on paper, archival content
3:50minutes

With thanks to Mathew Nicholson (Lead and Follow) and Shae Mountain. Audio track features the voice John Doremus from the radio series The Passing Parade produced by Grace Gibson Productions. Full series available from GraceGibsonRadio.com