Bridge 3 (Multiple Perspectives) Trigger: Gender as a Tool and as a Weapon

The New Museum’s exhibition, “Tigger: Gender as a Tool and a Weapon” investigates the expression of gender identity in contemporary art and popular culture “at a moment of political upheaval and renewed culture wars”1. The exhibition presents artwork of more than forty artists who have created works across a variety of mediums and explore vast genres that represent fluidity within one’s gender identification and express the lack of equal representation of the queer and trans community.

As the viewer travels through the New Museum, on the third floor is a white walled corner, Paul Mpagi Sepuya’s series of three controlled lifesize self portraits were shot in his studio in Los Angeles, placed parallel to each other. From left to right; A black backdrop held and supported by two unidentified hands, one black, one white, the camera is positioned in the center foreground, the mirror is fogged and smudged, depicting a sensual and lustful tone of the art piece. In the middle a black backdrop, a centered camera and one hand, belonging to Sepuya. The last photo reflects Sepuya’s contorted nude body and the camera only captures a fragment on the right side of the frame, the viewer’s eye is directed to the camera, positioned in the center, and pulled off the frame to imagine what is unseen. Overall, the photo is unbalanced in weight, all subjects are arranged on one side of the composition. The self portrait series demonstrates an intentional controlled visibility for the audience through the use of a smudged, foggy mirror, the folding of his own body and the careful positioning of the camera.The negative space in each composition leaves the viewer to illustrate what is unseen, with these aspects of his photographs he creates, “a feeling of longing within the viewer, to see what is concealed.”2 This forces the audience to dive into Sepuya’s creative process and “highlights the role of desire as a productive and critical force.”3

With Sepuya’s subtle inclusion of a white hand, he expresses progression for racial equality, the decision to use a mirror and a camera nods to modern day “selfies” on social media, his body is exposed yet hidden which communicates this idea of pride in identity, and at the same time shame- according to the existing societal order.

American academic scholar in gender studies, Eve Sedgwick, explores identities that travel beyond binary and challenges the status quo of masculinity’s connotation to males and femininity to females. Much like Sedgwick, Sepuya’s creates curiosity and forces the audience to think progressively, Sedgwick states, “In masculinity/femininity, a dynamic of self-recognition mediates between essentialism and free play.”4, the moment one’s self discovers what is concrete and what is free to be explored, that is when a person can challenge society’s definition of masculinity and femininity.

Sepuya’s photo series supports Sedgwick’s axiom as both artists believe that people are born free and should be able to exist in their identities without the harsh pressures of society and politics. This idea is captured in the sensual and provocative self portraits in the white walled corner.

3. Ibid

4. Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick, “ Gosh Boy George, You Must be Awfully Secure in Your Masculinity!” (New York: Routledge, Inc, 1995), 18.