Neihana Gordon-Stables

A REAR WINDOW PROJECT

Neihana Gordon-Stables (Ngāti Kuri) describes that his moving image practice is focused on “exploring romantic and platonic queer relationships, the desire, love, longing and turmoil that occur in all of them.”¹  

I LIKE THIS QUEER SCENE BUT I’VE SLEPT WITH BOTH OF THEM shows two cars full of friends driving around at night. There’s no apparent destination; instead, there’s a sense of fun and revelry – and a restlessness that often characterises the experiences of young queer people in a small place. This is punctuated by a yell from one of the group: “where are the hot people in this city?”

The group of friends dance, drink, emerge and dissipate into the dark background, in focus and out of focus. The dramatic, noir quality of the footage is playful and ironic. Gordon-Stables captures the atmosphere of the friendships and intimacies at this stage of life, dishing out saucy news, off on a night out, celebrating being alive and lamenting the small size of the
social scene. 

Neihana Gordon-Stables (Ngāti Kuri) is a Takatāpui, Tangata ira tane born in Tāmaki Makaurau hailing from Te Hapua. Neihana’s video installations reflect the lived experiences of young queer people growing up in Aotearoa with humour and intimacy that challenges dominant cultural narratives. Neihana’s video works have recently been screened and exhibited by CIRCUIT Artist Film and Video Aotearoa; Te Tuhi Centre for the Arts; and Footscray Community Art Centre.

1. Artist statement, Circuit Artist Film and Video Aotearoa https://www.circuit.org.nz/artist/neihana-gordon-stables