by Abel Horwitz
Daily Lobo
The "More Than Code" photography exhibit in the Art Building until Feb. 3, attempts to answer the question of what establishes gender identity.
A show designed to be controversial and thought-provoking is expected to have some shock value. Admittedly, some artists did hit the mark and some very interesting pieces are displayed.
Still, it's easy to leave the John Sommers Gallery feeling confused.
"More Than Code" features 24 graduate students attempting to portray a type of androgyny in their pieces.
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Some of the pictures are funny, especially Chad Person's series of black and white photos portraying standard masculinity via little penis figures doing things that make men, men. The best of the three is "Hold My Beer While I Shoot This," as the penis is carrying a shotgun and a beer with a target in front of him.
Along with Jamie E. Bradley's "Bowie Series" the humor behind establishing gender is adequately exhibited.
A few prints also make you think. Adrian Little's two "Mama's Almost Dead" pictures display every day images of a housewives life, a toaster and an iron, and seem to ask if this is the definition of femininity.
Leta Evaskus' three portraits were by far the best of the show. The photographs of people who question their sexuality spoke more about gender and identity than any of the other pictures.
To look into the eyes of the models is almost frightening, and each of them subtly displays a different emotion as they wonder who they are in the world. The pictures blur the definitions of gender in the model's faces and bodies and are absolutely fascinating to examine.
Unfortunately, beyond this, there isn't much more. Many of the works are far too confusing or oversimplified to express their point. A few of the pictures seemed to try too hard to express their point and actually wind up revealing very little.
Meredith R. Talusan's "2/02-8/02" series, showing seemingly monthly pictures of a man who is going in for a sex change operation, was far too subtle to be informative. Of the six shots, nothing drastically changes until the last, in which the model's penis has been removed. The transition the pictures were trying to show was not accessible enough to be considered captivating.
Finally, a few pieces were absolutely unnecessary. Sang Lee's three "Untitled" prints show nothing more than people on the street going through their daily lives. No questioning of gender is immediately shown and that these prints are included in the series is annoying.
Jason Flack's two "From The Series: Prolonging Denial" were also unnecessary and showed a tree with staples in it and a branch with a coat hanger on it.
On a side note, two of the effective artists, Person and Evaskus, are from UNM
The show has some redeeming qualities, so if the topic interests you, and it should, you should check it out -- it may have something to offer you.
