Positive Life NSW

POJO uses his art to comment on issues that affect his life as a positive gay man. His unique approach may make you chuckle or scratch your head, so we asked him to explain his work in his own words.

Talkabout: Can you tell readers how you see your work?

POJO: POJOs are outsider art. For me, they are a positive voice in a world where negative prevention always rubs out the message. They are colour and movement. They add to issues. They are counterpoint.

Talkabout: It seems that many of the cartoons are very personal and reflect your own experiences or frustrations, but many people can probably relate to them. Can you tell us a little more about the topics?

POJO: The shark one pretty much sums up the past 10 years for me personally. The wrestle one demonstrates the struggle between poz friendly people and the ‘DD free’ people out there. Sometimes they are funny, other times they just make you think. They also try to unmask the prejudice of people and so I hope are very effective tools. More so for me, they are a made to keep my toe in the water of a community which used to be a supportive one. They are my lifeline to the outside world.

Talkabout: So, what is the creative process? How do you create the text and images?

POJO: They take me about five minutes. I do the words first, then scribble up the art. Ideally I would like to spend an hour or two on the art, but part of their beauty is their scribbly nature. They are not overdone. They are all substance, no gloss … a bit like me.