Untitled, Just Like Us
2016
Photograph
Eric Gyamfi’s Collection
“Once there is a me and a you, everyone potentially carries the possibility of being an other,” (Eric Gyamfi).
“Otherness” marginalizes individuals strictly on assumptions of their character and sexuality, potentially distancing them from their community and making it more difficult to exist comfortably in some situations.
The intimacy of this image is uncomfortable because it illuminates a moment of routine that is foreign to outsiders. Gyamfi records a moment that elicits different reactions for each individual–some people look in the mirror and are pleased with their appearance, while others judge their own features as being common. Not only is this individual’s reaction to their appearance hidden, the their gender identity is also hidden. It is unclear whether this individual will wear makeup to assume a feminine gender or will maintain a more masculine appearance. The ambiguity of this individual’s identity allows them to defy labels of otherness.
Amanda Banasiak ’20
Bibliography
Chin, Matthew. “Feelings, Safe Space, and LGBTQ of Color Community Arts Organizing.” Journal of Community Practice. Jul-Dec 2017. pp. 391-407.
There are only a number of spaces where individuals of the LGBTQ community feel safe against oppression. The creation of art and art spaces acts as physical walls which protect these individuals to express their true selves.
Frost, Stuart. “Exploring and Interpreting LGBTQ Histories.” Interpretation Journal, 22. Summer 2017. pp. 7-8.
LGBTQ histories and experiences have traditionally been overlooked or underrepresented by museums and galleries. This show aims writes narratives of these experiences through art.
Irish, Anni. “Mapplethrope Legaxy Endures at Guggenheim.” Modern Painters, 37. Apr 2019. 122-123.
U.S. photographer Robert Mapplethrope (1946-1989) is an emblematic figure within the art world and the LGBTQ community as he photographs experiences being LGBTQ. His advocacy in depicting these individuals parallels Muholi, Gyamfi and Owunna’s work illustrating the lives of the LGBTQ community in Africa and the diasporas.
Moosa, Tauriq. “The Next Level: LGBTQ Equality in South Africa.” Free Inquiry, 30. Oct/Nov 2010, pp. 28-31.
This article outlines the region’s laws regarding abortion and same-sex marriage.
Naughton, Jake. “Photos That Celebrate Ghana’s L.G.B.T. Community.” The New York Times. Apr 4, 2017.
“Just Like Us” documents an aspect of Eric Gyamfi’s history that he feels is undocumented; a history that shows that queer people exist in Africa. This series attempts to fill this void of history.
Schjedahl, Peter. “Safe Space.” New Yorker. Oct 9, 2017. Pp. 78-79.
This articles reviews the LGBTQ art exhibit “Trigger: Gender as a Tool and a Weapon,” which was held at the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York City. It adds to the narrative of LGBTQ artists representing themselves through safe spaces in the art world.