1940: Based on a True Story

The artist Todd Fuller gave an impassioned talk about his latest work ‘1940: Based on a True Story’, to the Gay Art Group during its exhibition at M-Contemporary. Todd spoke on the 5 year journey researching the history of a shared relationship between a young Australian pilot, who died in the Battle of Britain, and his older male guardian. Whilst the evidence around the pair is inconclusive if they were actual same-sex lovers during World War II, the diary entries, letters and other primary materials outlined a very loving, and enduring relationship between the two, ending with the older gentlemen, keeping the young pilots ashes for 23 years before being buried with them.

Todd explained the work can only be speculative because that time in history - when queer history is mostly obliterated due to homosexuality being a criminal offence. However the evidence showed the older South African man from England, whilst visiting Australia in the 1930’s, meet the younger man at Tamarama Surf Lifesaving Club. Though the young man had a family, it was agreed for him to return to England ,as a ward of the older man, who sponsored his aeronautical training to become a pilot. There are documented discussions about both taking on the older gentleman’s name, and the younger even taking possession of the olders manor house in England.

Without apology, Todd blurs truth and fantasy and ends with an idealised Disney-esk romance, even creating Memories, for the pair in fantasied photo’s that could never have been taken/displayed during that dark time in our queer history.

The talk as captivating, as is the artist and artworks of this exhibition. The GAG loved the afternoon