Duane Isaac
Untitled
2020

About the Item

In a series of portraits documenting the body in nature, Isaac’s model dons a fantastical mask — one side overgrown with fledgling greenery while the other half conjures a ghost of the human face hidden beneath — and succumbs to increasingly foreboding flames. Motivated by the health and survival of Indigenous bodies and Indigenous Lands, Isaac casts their model as a representation of sovereignty under threat: “The health of the Land will reflect the health of the body and the health of the body will reflect the health of the Land. One cannot survive without the other.” The figure’s mask embodies this dualism, representing Indigenous identity as inseparable from and equal to the Land. Isaac’s artistic practice traces the ephemeral, hand-crafting surreal and otherworldly masks solely for their portraiture, then heightening their narrative presence through lighting and digital manipulation. Ranging from darkly demure to expressively gaudy, their masks are opulent, clever, twisted, unsettling, sexy, and unquestionably queer. Their lens seeks a balanced relationship between body and mind, where masks externalize a rich internal world populated by grotesque and seductive creatures, guided by Indigenous ways of knowing, the queer gaze, environmental angst, and an apocalyptic perspective on the past and future. Duane Isaac is a Two-Spirit Mi’gmaq photographer and mask maker. They have been making masks and practicing photography for 10 years. Isaac studied professional photography at Dawson College in Montreal. Isaac’s work draws inspiration from glamour, the macabre and nature. Their work has been featured in Adon, HUF, Dark Beauty and various other online publications.

Creator:

Duane Isaac (Canadian)

Creation Year:

2020

Dimensions:

Height: 36 in (91.44 cm)Width: 24 in (60.96 cm)

Medium:

Digital

Movement & Style:

Contemporary

Period:

2010-