The University of Texas at Dallas presents: Identities

by PegNews wire

The Identities exhibition will run at The University of Texas at Dallas in the Cecil and Ida Green Center Feb. 1 – March 7. The exhibition, curated by Marilyn Waligore, is free and open to the public.

The exhibition celebrates the donation of the Comer Collection, an archive of modern and contemporary photography, to The University of Texas at Dallas. Waligore, associate professor at UT Dallas, selected more than 20 works from the collection for the exhibition.

Works include photographs by Gay Block, Nan Goldin, Earlie Hudnall, Jr., Martina Lopez, Anne Noggle, Gordon Parks, Mark Riboud, Andres Serrano, Cindy Sherman, and Hulleah Tsinhnahjinnie -- representing nationally and internationally recognized artists, with several classic images from the history of photography.

Waligore describes some of the themes explored in Identities: “Photographs of individuals, as in portraits, tend to prioritize appearance or likeness. These artists move beyond the surface, to foster our re-examination of the relationship between photography and concepts of identity. Images range from a display of hybrid identities, in an affirmation of existence, to a critique of socially constructed stereotypes.

“Anne Noggle's self-portrait, Myself as a Pilot, acknowledges her uncommon twin roles as woman photographer and pilot--as a Women's Airforce Service Pilot (WASP) during World War II, a crop duster and a flight instructor.

“Houston artist Earlie Hudnall Jr. documents child's play without Gameboys or Nintendos. Three Drummers perform confidently for the camera, becoming both musicians and sculptors with instruments crafted from plastic barrels.

“Gay Block of New Mexico makes previously invisible heroes visible through her portraits of people who sheltered Jews from the Nazis during World War II. The success of these ‘rescuers’ resulted in part through their ability to keep their identities secret; on the surface they appeared to lead average lives.

“Hulleah Tsinhnahjinnie and Gordon Parks portray Native Americans and African Americans, respectively, providing inspiring alternatives to media stereotypes. Martina Lopez inserts 19th-century portraits into digitally constructed landscapes to comment on family heritage and collective histories. These artists render identity as complex, informed by social, historical and cultural contexts.”

In a recent National Public Radio interview, filmmaker Todd Haynes, who directed I'm Not There, observed that people tend to view identity “as something that’s sort of imposed upon us by society.” He notes, however, in considering the many personas of musician Bob Dylan, that individuals can allow themselves “to be different people at different times,” which can have a positive effect. The work in Identities addresses the possibility that identity is in flux, despite the camera's apparent ability to fix it.

The opening reception is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 1, from 6:30 to 9 p.m.

Source: UT Dallas