Sadly, artist, designer, photographer and writer Ross Pulbrook passed away suddenly after a fall in his home on Thursday 19 August 2021.

Ross was born in Toowoomba in 1961 and known and loved by many as a humanitarian and advocate for social justice, LGBTQIA+ human rights causes. He was fervent supporter of independent and DIY artist-run spaces which flourished in Brisbane Meeanjin throughout the 1980s. His series of works ‘Which Art in Heaven’ provided an important “some tales told” counter media narrative about the highly publicised Azaria Chamberlain trial.

Ross collaborated passionately with many other during the course of his life including his long term interest in promoting South American culture for over 25 years. His life was one well lived, and lived broadly, in recent times Ross had set about writing a series of short stories through a queer lens, which while unpublished have provided countless affecting experiences for those he kindly shared these stories with in private, for close friends, family and work colleagues interested to learn more about his life, interests and involvements. Hopefully some of these stories, ‘more tales told’  will be published posthumously.

In April 2020 in a micro memoir penned on social media Ross wrote about a favourite portrait taken by life long friend, colleague and muse Racheal Bruhn; “I was never / always one to follow fads, OK here I go. Me in my early (to mid?) 20s, outside of the then “Pink Palace” apartment block in Spring Hill, Brisbane. (In those daze, long hair on blokes was so unfashionable, at least in sunny Brisbane.) Photo Courtesy of dear friend, Racheal Bruhn.”

Thank you beloved Ross for everything, we are truly grateful that you, your dear partner Kieran Dwyer, family and friends, and your tireless collaborations have blessed each and everyone of our lives and touched so many of us so deeply, so enthusiastically, so lovingly with creativity, grace, kindness and generosity.

Tributes are both encouraged and welcomed here in the thread below.

Photo: ( Header Image): Artist Ross Pulbrook at the National Gallery of Australia 1989 . Canberra Photo: Paul Andrew

Photo: Ross Pulbrook at the Pink Palace. Photo: Racheal Bruhn

Photo: Ross Pulbrook and Dale Chapman, That Space, 1987. Photo: The Shared Camera, That Contemporary Art Space collection.

Photo: Which Art in Heaven exhibition catalogue detail, 1987. That Contemporary Art Space archives.

Please add your photos of Ross into the comments thread below or simple email us with the image [1200pixels]  at artsmedia[at]gmail.com to add them into this memory tribute page, thanks so much….