From dominating the airwaves to sex symbol status and Academy Award nominations, Madonna has done it all. Following the star from (nearly) the start, Jerry Kirbell has been along for the ride, picking up memories that he shares in Madonna40: A Celebration at Canberra Museum and Gallery until 3 March 2024.
The year was 1984, Jerry was 11 years old, and Madonna had her first billboard hit in the UK. She became his newest fascination, one that 40 years later is still as alive as ever. He remembers cutting pictures of her from Smash Hits magazines and recording her songs on his cassette player when listening to the charts on a Sunday night.
“That, to me, was when it started. I discovered I needed to make more money so I would go around the neighbourhood and ask people if I could clean their cars. Every Saturday I’d be going up into town just buying whatever I could,” says Jerry.
Those magazine cutouts and cassette recordings were the beginning of his collection; the first piece he specifically bought was close to home.
“We had an indoor market and probably about a year after I discovered her, a second-hand record store opened and every now and again, he would get Madonna records. That was when I first started consciously buying.”
From that first find, Jerry has hunted high and low for the items in his collection. He scours online sites and specific collector sites, visits record shops and markets, and has even been known to send mail to the record company that signed Madonna.
“Their marketing department used to send me things. There’s nowhere that I won’t try and find stuff.”
Moving to Australia in 2015, Jerry had to pack up his loved collection and sent around 30 packing cases by ship which took three months to arrive.
“We sold pretty much most of our possessions anyway, but the Madonna stuff I refused to sell, that had to come with me,” smiles Jerry.
When they arrived, Jerry didn’t turn his house into a Madonna museum, in fact, he only has two pieces on display at home.
“It sounds tragic, but I don’t actually listen to Madonna that much. I don’t see it because it’s all in boxes under beds and in garages. I just love collecting, I love the hunt of it all. Don’t get me wrong, I think she is the greatest female performer there’s ever been, but I’m also into other artists as well.”
More than the actual item itself, it is the memory associated with it that he values, such as a moment in time, an interaction, or getting into a show that seemed impossible until a stranger gave them a hint. It is this flood of warmth and happiness associated with the memories that he hopes visitors to the exhibition will also experience.
“I like the idea that people are going to have memories, no matter what they are; whether it’s of her or a Bond film that they saw or the fact that they used to read Smash Hits,” says Jerry.
The avid collector has tried to step away from his Madonna fascination but repeatedly failed, saying she always comes back with something that ignites something in him. Never knowing what to expect, he is always surprised.
“She’s got a real ear for things and she’s got a real eye for things and she seems to pick up on trends before they even occur. It is something that Madonna has; she might not be the best singer or dancer but she’s just got an eye and an ear for the next big thing and people pick up that.”
Remaining in the spotlight for decades is partly the media’s doing, explains Jerry. With her every turn, they haven’t been able to stop talking about Madonna. Even now, she can still make a headline without trying.
“She’s fantastic! It’s too easy to criticise the way she is now; I choose to look at what she’s achieved, also what she’s achieving now is still incredible. There isn’t another performer that I can think of that can do the shows that she does and get the headlines in the way she does,” says Jerry.
Whether you love her, hate her or want to be her, there is no denying the allure of Madonna. Jerry says while there might be massive stars today like Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran and Adele, they are all too nice and vanilla – none has the charisma and attitude of Madonna.
“I love the way that she challenges us, she challenges herself, she knows how to push buttons and I love that. I love the fact that she can cause controversy like that.”
A lifelong fan, Jerry had the opportunity to meet Madonna once when she was doing a book signing for her children’s series in London. He says even if there are 100 people in a room, the only one you could possibly notice is Madonna.
“It was exactly what I wanted it to be because she wasn’t overly friendly; I like that sassy New York attitude she’s always given off and she definitely had that … I kind of garbled about how much I loved her and this, that and the other, nothing really specific, and then I got the obligatory ‘Would you like a book?’ and then shook my hand twice and then I left the room and broke down in tears.”
Coming across an expression of interest callout for the CMAG space, Jerry thought it would be fun to share his collection, and asked if it would be possible to align with SpringOUT as Madonna is such a gay icon.
Meeting with curator Hannah Paddon, Jerry said at first he thought he wouldn’t be able to fill the space, however, he ended up having to take more home than is on display. Along with the fabulous display, accompanied by Jerry’s hand-picked Madonna tunes, there are a couple of events to celebrate the milestone of Madonna.
On Friday 10 November is the Into the Groove – Madonna Dance party where everyone is invited to get dressed up and boogie down. Local drag artist Venus Mantrap performs and other Madonna enthusiasts conduct dance classes while you can graze on snacks and sip themed cocktails.
Then on Saturday 25 November, Jerry and Venus Mantrap discuss their passion for the iconic artist and her impact on the queer community.
See Madonna40: A celebration at Canberra Museum and Gallery, Civic until 3 March; cmag.com.au
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