Lissa Rivera
Male Impersonator
2015

Name: Male Impersonator
Brand: Lissa Rivera
Price: 2000 USD
Availability: InStock

About the Item

Archival pigment print Signed and numbered, verso 18 x 12 inches, image (Edition of 8 + 1 AP) 30 x 20 inches, image (Edition of 5 + 2 APs) This photograph is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City. Please note that prices increase as editions sell. Lissa Rivera writes: “‘Beautiful Boy’ is an ongoing series of photographs of my lover. It began as a confession between friends. On the subway one evening, my friend shared that he had worn women’s clothing almost exclusively in college, but after graduation struggled to navigate a world that seemed both newly accepting and yet inherently reviling of male displays of femininity. I thought that photography could provide a space to experiment outside of isolation. Taking the first pictures was an emotional experience, and I connected to his vulnerability. Over time he became my muse and eventually my romantic partner. Soon we began taking photos like addicts, setting up several shoots every weekend. “When taking the photos, I feel the same as when viewing a film where a director and actress share a deep connection to the fantasy captured. It is thrilling to see my partner transform into countless goddess-like forms. The project is a canvas to project our desires. At times the images even become self-portraits. The camera transposes our private experiences into public expression. “Often, I construct sets in my studio. Other times, I seek out locations that feel as if they are sets. I spend a lot of time conceptualizing the costumes, which I piece together from thrift shops, Ebay, and discount fabric outlets. I think it is important that the images not be seamless, but more like an assemblage where you can see the glue, revealing contemporary identity as a collage of the visual language of the past. Although I art-direct the images and come to each shoot with a strong aesthetic intention, my partner inhabits each costume and set in a thoughtful way, embodying the scenario with a sense of openness. “It is important to show his femininity as strength. I want to feel empowered as well, and to have an intimate muse. Together we investigate feminine fantasies presented throughout the history of photography and cinema. The project is a way to ‘step-inside’ images that we have found alluring and examine what it is like to live each scenario out. We explore both our captivation and our ambivalence towards these depictions of femininity. By presenting my partner within the lineage of great beauties and populating the media with our images, we are reclaiming our voice in what is attractive and beautiful.” Lissa Rivera is a photographer and curator based in Brooklyn, NY. Rivera received her MFA from the School of Visual Arts, where she became fascinated with the social history of photography and the evolution of identity, sexuality and gender in relationship to material culture. ‘Beautiful Boy,’ Rivera’s latest project, takes her interest in photography’s connection with identity to a personal level, focusing on her domestic partner as muse. Selected press includes The New York Times, Artforum, The Guardian, Harper’s Bazaar, PAPER, The Boston Globe, and Photograph Magazine among many others. Rivera was chosen as a “Woman to Watch” for the biennial exhibition at the National Museum of Woman in Arts. Selected honors include the Griffin Museum’s Peter Urban Legacy Award; Feature Shoot’s Emerging Photography Award; Photographic Resource Center’s Exposure 2016; D&AD’s Next Photographer Shortlist; and the Magnum Photography Award for Portraiture. Permanent collections include Museum of Fine Arts Houston; Danforth Museum; and Newport Art Museum. Since 2016, Rivera has curated and produced six exhibitions for the Museum of Sex, with a focus on modern and contemporary art. Rivera strives to include traditionally underrepresented voices regardless of formal education or exhibition history. Rivera's most recent curatorial effort, ‘Leonor Fini: Theatre of Desire 1930-1990,’ is the first US Museum survey dedicated to Fini. Rivera served as curator for ‘Canon: Juan Jose Barboza-Gubo & Andrew Mroczek;’ ‘Night Fever: New York Disco 1977–1979, The Bill Bernstein Photographs;’ co-curator of ‘Punk Lust: Raw Provocation 1971-1985;’ and ‘NSFW: Female Gaze;’ and producer of ‘Known/Unknown: Private Obsession and Hidden Desire in Outsider Art.’ In 2018, Rivera was invited to be guest juror for the Field Projects gallery open call.

Creator:

Lissa Rivera (American)

Creation Year:

2015

Dimensions:

Height: 18 in (45.72 cm)Width: 12 in (30.48 cm)

Medium:

Archival Pigment

Movement & Style:

Contemporary

Period:

2010-