Celebrate the campy, the colourful and the downright outrageous. Artist, author and cultural futurist Stavroula Adameitis, AKA Frida Las Vegas, believes that embracing maximalism is, in fact, a key part of the Australian character.
‘Historically, kitsch has presented itself as a Thunderdome-style death match between “highbrow” and “lowbrow.” Any artefact tarred with the low-brow brush is automatically relegated to the bargain bin of cultural propriety,’ writes Adameitis in her new book Australianarama: A Campendium of Kitsch. ‘But many of us happen to enjoy rummaging through a sale rack. And we know there is more to kitsch than meets the eye.’
Adameitis defines kitsch through her nifty acronym ART POPS: ARTIFICIAL, REPRODUCABLE, TOO MUCH, POPULAR, OPENHEARTED, PLAYFUL, SENTIMENTAL. Words that are colourfully expressed in Australia’s history of Big Things, big personalities, novelty ephemera and glitzy variety shows.
‘If kitsch is a cake baked lovingly from these core ingredients, Australia is one helluva bakery. Kitsch surrounds us and binds us in its margarine fairy-bread excellence.’
All things kitsch
Ahead of Australianarama’s release, Adameitis has created a three-part video guide to an over-the-top era of Australian culture, across fashion and design, advertising and live music television series. View them in full below.
