Camp, Kitsch, and Suburbia – Origins of a Queer Colour Palette in Cult Film and Its Expansion into Contemporary Art

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The path that led me to this dissertation was atypical to say the least. For the past few years

my practice has focused on sickly sweet pastels, nostalgia and most importantly, the colour

pink (Appendices 2-4). I’ve been obsessed with your grandmother’s wallpaper patterns and

the shapes found within your favourite childhood toys for the duration of my practice,

which leaves the question of how blood, guts, and gore fit into this kitsch little package.

 

To put it simply; I blame John Waters.

 

In my infatuation with the home and the notion of the ‘Queer Colour Palette’, I found

myself repeatedly coming back to the work of John Waters, an extravagant display of all

things colourful and camp, but most notably all things shockingly disgusting.

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​Sophie Coleman​​​

MA Design History Graduate 2024

The Northern School of Art​