Diamonds in the Sky

<p dir="ltr">Background </p><p dir="ltr">Diamonds in the Sky (2024) is a two-person exhibition that situates itself within contemporary queer and abstract art practices exploring the intersections of landscape and the body. The exhibition brings together works by Courtney Coombs and Jordan Azcune, addressing how abstract forms can convey intensely subjective experiences while fostering open dialogue and connection. Drawing on queer theoretical frameworks and material experimentation, the works engage with themes of vulnerability, identity, spirituality, and memorialisation. Influenced by discourses in queer phenomenology, portraiture, and environmental engagement, the exhibition participates in ongoing scholarly debates around representation, affect, and the politics of difference. </p><p dir="ltr">Contribution </p><p dir="ltr">Invited by the directors of Schmick Contemporary, Courtney Coombs produced the exhibition and invited Jordan Azcune for this collaborative presentation. Coombs’ Horizon line (bright) (2021) uses neon to evoke the horizon during the blue hour, reflecting on insomnia and employing it as a queer abstract lens to navigate complex emotional states. The work challenges spectacle through gestural simplicity and poetic vulnerability, prompting alternative ways to see and connect. Azcune’s Lifeline (2020) is a six-foot-high beeswax sculpture that references queer portraiture and memorial traditions, exploring layers of spirituality and corporeality informed by personal history and biblical theology. Together, these works employ diverse media and metaphorical strategies to open space for personal and collective reflection, expanding understandings of how abstraction can articulate queer bodies and landscapes. </p><p dir="ltr">Significance </p><p dir="ltr">Diamonds in the Sky demonstrates significant institutional support through the invitation by Schmick Contemporary directors and sponsorship by the City of Sydney. The exhibition advances contemporary conversations on queer abstraction, materiality, and embodied experience within Australian and international art contexts. Both artists have notable research and exhibition histories, including competitive residencies and awards, reinforcing the exhibition’s rigor and impact. The collaboration models curatorial innovation through artist-led initiatives, fostering community and dialogue around identity, vulnerability, and environmental relations, positioning the works within ongoing critical and scholarly discourse.</p>