The portrait series “A Visual Dissent” (formerly Not Conceptual. Life) reflects on the concept of the “regime of the gaze” that portrays individuals who dissent normative gender roles by using a gender-specific visual language.
Exhibitions & Presentations
The series was exhibited, among many other places, at the European Month of Photography in Berlin 2023 within a grouph exhibition of the Berufsverband Freie Fotografen und Filmgestalter e. V. (BFF) and at the Kunstverein Familie Montez in Frankfurt am Main.
Four portraits are part of the Art Collection of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment.
Statement, Catherine Lieser
» When we see a photograph of a woman or a man, we don’t just see a female or a male human, but a constructed and structured representation of the concept “woman” or “man”.
The term “regime of the gaze” was largely coined by French philosopher Michel Foucault, who describes in his work “who is allowed to see whom, under what conditions, and how power is exercised as a result.”
A gaze regime within the medium of photography thus structures social norms and cultural conventions and stabilizes power relations. This also applies to the portrayal of genders and gender roles.
An early feminist analysis was conducted by the British film historian Laura Mulvey. She developed the idea of the “male gaze” and argued that Hollywood films, in particular, are structured from a male-heterosexual perspective and portray women as objects of desire.
I asked myself if there is a gender-specific language and researched a total of four motifs that each depict the same gender using the same visual language over decades.
For each motif I created a series, so that the visual language of the gaze regime becomes recognizable.
In order to visually dissent the gaze regime, I portrayed people who stand in contrast to the constructed gender narratives, using traditional visual language itself. «
Motif No. 1
A visual tradition of depicting men.
My photographical quote with queer Drag Queen Kelly Heelton.
Motif No. 2.
A visual tradition of depicting women.
My photographical quotes with interdisciplinary and queer artist Julakim and non-binary Play Temple host Gili Jala.
Motif No. 3
A visual tradition of depicting men.
My photographical quotes with queer drag queen Jazz Cortes and Ballroom-Member Dream with two members of his family of Miyake Mugler.
Motif No. 4
A visual tradition of depicting women.
My photographical quotes with trans rapper Saphira, non-binary singer-songwriter Josephinex and queer author Nazli Karabiyikoglu.
Art print edition
Per motif: 40x60 cm and 80x120 cm, each 5 pieces, plus each 2 artist prints. Printed on „FineArt Pearl“ by Hahnemühle.
Prices
40x60 cm: 300,00 € incl. tax; 80x120 cm: 700,00 € incl. tax.
Suggested framing
Suggestion 1: Laminated on aludibond sealed behind acrylic glass (Price approx.: 40x60 cm: +230,00 € incl. tax, 80x120 cm: +480€ incl. tax). With this framing the paper is „Photo Lustre“ by Canson.
Suggestion 2: Wooden frame with passepartout and museum glass (Price approx.: 40x60 cm: + from 250,00 € incl. tax)