Identity Heft!

“Refinement and Elegance, 2010” from the series “Other People’s Clothes”, archival inkjet print by Caleb Cole (courtesy of the artist and Gallery Kayafas)

What is a portrait, if not a statement of identity?  But whose identity?  In a new show at the Photographic Resource Center (PRC, Boston), “Framed: Identity and the Photographic Portrait”, running through October 12, 2013, curator Francine Weiss “showcases three fresh and ambitious approaches to portraiture…that challenge our beliefs and assumptions about identity”.  Small and focused, this show is mind-expanding and captivating.

“DN, Chicago, Illinois, 2009” from the series “My White Friends”, archival inkjet print by Myra Greene (courtesy of the artist and PRC, Boston)

In her series, “My White Friends”, Myra Greene (who has a “different racial profile”), asked some of her close white friends to pose for environmental portraits exploring “the peculiarity and power of whiteness”.  This is a tall order.  A racial characteristic that is both visually obvious and culturally elusive, Greene’s series “explores the challenges of describing whiteness and assumptions about social circles.”  I think her premise that “the analysis of whiteness exists in the balance between portrait and surrounding” has mixed results.  In those settings “dictated by a sense of wealth and power”, such as her portrait of a blond woman posing by the green with her pastel pink golfing equipment, her message is clear – and it strengthens a stereotype.

“TS, Rochester, New York, 2008” from the series “My White Friends”, archival inkjet print by Myra Greene (courtesy of the artist and PRC, Boston)

But on neutral terrains, like a man standing at a street corner with his dog, the “whiteness” is not so obvious.  His stance and expression transcend race so, is it something about his clothing or his dog?  Perhaps he is not exuding racial identity, but merely humanity, at the moment pictured.  Greene states that this “project forces me, my friends and viewers to examine friendships, unearth stereotypes and question interpretations of this loaded term.”  I think Greene’s portraits meet with variable success in demonstrating the tenuous and subjective concept of “whiteness”, but they are intriguing and make me want to see more of her daring efforts.

“Ocean Breeze (Seven), 2009” from the series “Transportraits”, archival pigment print by Lorenzo Triburgo (courtesy of the artist and PRC, Boston)

In his series, “Transportraits”, Lorenzo Triburgo crafts a forceful photographic point.  Each portrait includes a hand-painted, highly stylized backdrop to demonstrate that our perceptions of the natural world are merely a construct, just like a photograph, whose “truth” can be altered by the photographer.  Likewise, each transgender subject drives home the point that one’s gender assignment at birth can be equally fluid and subjective.  Triburgo envisions his subjects as heroes, struggling to adopt a masculine identity within American cultural constraints.

“Two Seasons (Andrew), 2011” from the series “Transportraits”, archival pigment print by Lorenzo Triburgo (courtesy of the artist and PRC, Boston)

He photographs each man with identically dramatic bright light, camera angled up, as the subject gazes valiantly into the distance, like a General.  While Triburgo succeeds in imparting dignity, he suppresses a sense of individuality; in fact, he acknowledges that the series “is not about anyone’s particular story but more about my connection to…gender identity and constructions of masculinity.”  What I think he is really saying is, these are all self-portraits.  It is an interesting series but I don’t think we would lose his point if we were treated to more of the personality of his subjects or perhaps even some actual self-portraits of the artist.

“February Is Dental Month, 2008” from the series “Other People’s Clothes”, archival inkjet print by Caleb Cole (courtesy of the artist and Gallery Kayafas)

In his series “Other People’s Clothes”, Caleb Cole approaches portraiture in nearly the opposite way from Triburgo: using himself as the sole model for his images, he meticulously fabricates scenes in which he embodies “private moments of expectation” in imaginary people’s lives.  In constructing each scene, Cole starts with, literally, other people’s clothes (bought, borrowed or found) and invents stories about the strangers he imagines wearing them in order to explore “narratives of isolation, of questioning and searching, of desire and of confusion.”

“The Last Page, 2008” from the series “Other People’s Clothes”, archival inkjet print by Caleb Cole (courtesy of the artist and Gallery Kayafas)

Although these are not self-portraits, they involve a lot of self-reflection for the artist and, by extension, the viewer.  Sometimes haunting and at other times humorous, Cole’s images are ingenious and engaging.  He is a master of detail, inviting the viewer to join his conceit and climb right into his imaginary world.  Cole says the series is an attempt to “document a process wherein I try on the transitional moments of others’ lives, in order to better understand my own.”  It works for me, too.