Nikki S Lee - Projects
When I started to review the images from Nikki S Lees projects I was surprised to find that she had taken a lot of time in each setup. Taking up to three months to work with the individuals and to merge with them so that she did not look out of place. By using quick methods of shooting and by using standard off the shelf cameras she has captured some unique images; in some cases they look like family snapshots even down to the time stamp on the image. By having the image taken by a family member or by someone else and having Lee within the group creates a constructed image, challenging the reality of the context.
By using stealth assimilation, Less has blended in, showing the her identity is fluid and that she can be whoever she chooses to be, picking up and dropping masks as she goes from project to project. Lee exposes herself to different cultures, trying to show that identity is non static and that individuals are not a solid set of thoughts and traits which do not change. Lee shows that identity is a complex set of masks and presentations, and she shows this through her own personal transformation using clothes, styling and social membership. Lee attempts to belong within the groups and then record her authenticity, in doing so Lee sets up the question of identity; who are we, are we defined by our social group, by our level within the social group, does this identity change when going between groups (family, friends, larger groups) and does this change have a conscious element, are we aware of our changes,
What caught me off guard was the use of blackface in the hip hop project. I just do not feel that it was required. Many people involved in the hip hop scene are not black and rather than working with them to create her own identity within the crowd she has deliberately taken to copying them. Rather then being a social chameleon Lee has taken the decision to be exploitative. Lee here is making race a performance, it is a caricature of hip hop and reduces her image to cultural appropriation. Having spent time looking through 'Projects' I could not find another black person anywhere else, there were no black yuppies or black skaters, I just cannot understand why Lee chooses to use blackface to appear "black" within the hip hop community; Lee states herself that she feels stateless and race less and does not have race issues, but then forgets the history of blackface, especially within American performance arts.
Why this is taken as acceptable is a mystery to me, how does Less manage to persuade the art world that her blacking up is neither voyeuristic nor racist.
She does something similar in the deep south project which appears almost sneering and again deliberately going out of its way to present the individuals who are not Lee as poor, uneducated rednecks.
In all at times, Lee's work within Projects does remind me of early colonial travel photography, quietly sneering down the lens capturing the less cultural to exhibit them later,
The other main issue is see with Lee is the exploitation of the individuals in the projects, none of the groups or people are identified nor are they given a narrative, their presence is pure for context but once Lee has captured her image they are forgotten as Lee goes off to present her take on them and pocket the money.
Trish Morrissey - Front
Morrisseys' technique is the opposite of Lees, in the Front series Morrissey explains what she would like to do to each group. Therefore they are aware of what is going to happen and they can choose whether or no to be part of the narrative. They are complicit in the piece along with Morrissey, who then inserts herself into the family spaces with everyone's knowledge and acceptance. Apart from a change of clothes, Morrissey at no time attempts to phase into the group any further; apart from a change of clothes she makes no attempt to change her appearance to make herself different from her subjects.
Morrissey works with the group to create the context and the narrative of the series and she quickly works with the group in a very short time frame to present the final image, rather than working insidiously with the groups to mimic them. By being bold and upfront and presenting the idea to the subjects, they are more willing to accommodate her. I think this is a better idea as they are not being exploited unwittingly and if asked I would be prepared to take part
In the failed realist, Morrissey uses the face paints to present masks to the viewer, but rather than making skillful complex masks like Gillian Wearing, Morrissey paints her face in the style of child painting with their fingers where the refined motor skills and techniques have yet to develop and the eye still is taken with bold colours and non linear differentiation. In doing so Morrissey has chosen to simplify her masks and
become both the physical representation of the character or story painted, the portrayal of an idea and the actual canvas in which both the character and the story are told.
become both the physical representation of the character or story painted, the portrayal of an idea and the actual canvas in which both the character and the story are told.
