Interview with Jacinta Larcombe
Jacinta Larcombe is the 2022 recipient of the Stephen Cummins Residency, part of Performance Space's annual Queer Development Program. They are a live art maker, visual artist and Drag Queen living and working on the lands of the Whadjuk Noongar people in Boorloo/Perth. Larcombe’s bimbofication practice critically engages sex work, the body politic, neurodivergence and mental health. Read our chat with the up-and-comer below.
During the Stephen Cummins Residency you developed your work Girlfriend Experience (GFE). Can you introduce us to what it’s about and what we can expect to see at Queer Nu Werk?
Girlfriend Experience (GFE) is the exploration of shame and acceptance around hyper sexuality, sex work and patriarchal rules around dating. At Queer Nu Werk you can expect to see a protest, love letter and delicious self-seduction using stream of consciousness, trollz on YouTube, body masks and solo dance party anthems.
How did you find the Stephen Cummins Residency, which saw you in-house at PACT Centre for Emerging Artists for two weeks? How did your project evolve over the mentorship period? How did you find working with Betty Grumble?
The two-week residency was a really special and deep experience for me. I was able to reconnect and listen to my body which helped me move through difficult topics of toxic rules put upon sexual bodies and the internalised shame that exists in us. I had some idea of what I wanted to work on before I came into the space but the detailed identities of these body masks, really propelled the development into this magnetic, ‘I want to be seen, I don’t want to be seen’ realm.
Working with Emma Maye aka Betty Grumble was honestly one of the most magical, heartfelt, rebellious and exciting moments in my life. I am, and will always be a big supporter of her and the work she creates. She encouraged my already bubbling liberation, nurtured my emotional realisations and shared so much wisdom with me. She truly is a Goddess.
Bimbofication seems to be having a bit of a renaissance at the moment, there is a whole movement kind of referencing 2000s bimbo culture but coming at it from an empowered, liberated perspective. What draws you to bimbofication, where do you see it headed, and who are some of your favourite bimbo icons?
I think the thing that draws me to the idea and lifestyle of bimbofication is the utter knowledge and agency one has around their actions and femininity. A lot of the bimbos I perceived growing up knew how to market and create an icon out of themselves. New wave bimbos are hot and smart, they are manipulating the male gaze for political progressiveness, they want everyone to feel hot. Importantly the bimbofication movement isn’t just for white blonde cis women and can exist outside the binaries of representations we’ve seen in pop culture in the past. The most important bimbo to me is Miss Piggy.
Have you managed to get out into the Sydney Performance Art / Queer scene? How do you feel it compares to the Perth scene?
I have been lucky to imbed myself in the Sydney art scene, I went to The Bearded Tit for the first time and loved it! I also went to see two out of the three nights of LIVE DREAMS and thoroughly enjoyed myself. This week I am seeing Betty Grumble's new show Enemies Of Grooviness Eat Sh!t and Horses at the Belvoir Theatre. It is really exciting to be here while so much is going on, it feels like Sydney is very happy to be creating and putting work on again. There is so much expansiveness to the vibe and happenings here, feels like I’m in the big smoke! Perth is very special to me, we are an ever growing, ever learning, ever developing queer community that I’ve been blessed to watch and be a part of its progression.
I’ve seen some of your visual art on Instagram, how do you find moving between performance art and visual art? Do you feel like some things are better explored in one medium compared to the other?
I’ve always wanted to merge the two, I can always picture how a show looks before I even know what it’s about. My first drag alias’ clown faces were a representation of my visual art, I made big papier mache boobies to go with the character which seemed like an embodiment of my visual art. I have so many creative interests and I just want to put them all in a pot and mix them all together and see what happens. Play is so important to me in my visual and performance practice. I have curated such a world in my head of my visual art that now I’m so excited to bring it to life, for them to be tangible characters. I think if the feeling is strong everything can be explored in whatever medium you chose.
What else have you got planned for 2022? What should we keep an eye out for?
I’m currently in an exhibition called Viral Bodies with some other great artists at The Bearded Tit which was curated by Ian Sinclair, the exhibition is on till the 30th of July. Otherwise for the rest of the year my plans are to live well, spend more time in nature, make monies, apply for more cool stuff, be a sexy person and continue working on the show I created during my residency with Performance Space.
Catch Jacinta at Queer Nu Werk, deets here
