Trish Morrissey [1] uses herself in her projects but does not see them as traditional self-portraits. She sees that she is the protagonist where she plays other characters. Her projects have humour but have deeper meaning regarding family relationships and relationships with strangers. In her series Front she places herself amongst strangers on the beach to create a family snapshot. These are interesting as you look more at the strangers and imagine their lives and who has been replaced in the photo, who is missing?
I don’t think I would be comfortable if a photographer asked to pose with my family. I would need to understand more about them and their project brief. I imagine she went up to people on the spur of the moment although she possibly discussed some details with them. It is unlikely that many people would be comfortable. My experience of people on British beaches is once they have their area of sand then there is not much interaction between groups. It’s like how the majority of people don’t interact with their next door neighbours at home. They just transfer the same rules to a beach side setting.
In Seven Years Morrissey recreates old family photos with her sister. They don’t just play themselves they also dress as their male family members wearing fashions of the time. These are quite fun but contain nostalgia and raise questions of the past and where the family are today.
I have a number of issues with Nikki S. Lee’s work [2] where she takes on the physical appearance of various sub-cultures and ethnic groups. She is an American-Korean whose work I see as being more about her than the groups she is portraying. She appears to be playing up to stereotypes and to my view the work appears to mock rather than communicate anything new to viewers.
Maybe if Lee knew the individuals eg. friends/family then it would take on a more sincere meaning. There is a suggestion in some of the photos that she has ‘blackened’ up which is a controversial approach, unlike Morrissey who appears as herself but placed in somebody elses scene.
Reference:
- http://www.trishmorrissey.com/
- Nikki S. Lee – Projects
Martyn Rainbird 