From the Race & Gender Swap series, which explores common tropes and visual cues in American media such as pop music branding, advertising and magazine photography. Because cis male, cis female, black and white were overwhelmingly represented over other genders and races, and because the representation of gender was inseparable from race, the series focuses on these two binaries. A series of imaginary subjects were painted using the backgrounds, poses and compositions usually associated with their ‘opposite’ race and gender. By taking these usually unnoticed visual cues out of context, they are suddenly much more apparent. The subject is also viewed from an unusual perspective.
Ciana Pullen 2013