EXHIBITION: FIVE YEARS OF FABULOUS
BY KOMI SELLATHURAI
Terrence Stamp was spot on when he said, ‘that’s just what this country needs: a cock in a frock on a rock’ (The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert).
Celebrating his fifth year as the principle costume designer at Mardi Gras, the very talented Mathew Aberline gives the public an intimate behind-the-scenes look at the outrageous and spectacular costumes that steal the show year after year.
From Cyndi Lauper’s rubberised Marie Antoinette gown, Olivia Newton John’s cropped sequin kimono and Nicki Webster’s mechanical doll costume, Five Years of Fabulous is theatrical, cheeky and informative.
‘My work has been trying to capture the essence of Mardi Gras; to respect and reference the amazing designers that have come before me while pushing the boundaries of what is possible, and to give our audience a lot of fun,’ says Aberline.
Weather your interest lies in fashion design, Mardi Gras history, frock fetish or a healthy voyeuristic curiosity, this exhibition will blow your sequinned socks off.
Feb 14-March 14. Sydney Theatre Company, Wharf 2 Gallery, Hickson Road, Walsh Bay. www.matthewaberline.com
