robert and me, me and robert
2006
I took photographs with Robert over a four-year period. In this series Robert and I change places. Around this time, much of my photography involved taking pictures of naked people while I was clothed. I was aware that the person who was naked was revealing him or herself to me and to the camera, and becoming vulnerable in the process. I remained clothed and in a position of power - which was re-enforced by being behind the camera.
When we were talking about working together Robert said: “I’m looking at you as much as you’re looking at me.” This led me to develop this series, and from this point on I regularly took part in the work alongside the people I photographed.
C-type colour photographs.
Right Bodies Wrong Bodies
2006
This photograph depicts Robert and myself. Robert’s body has had hot wax dripped on it in order to write many ‘x’s and one ‘y’ on his skin - as a way of representing x and y chromosomes.
In mainstream society Robert’s transsexual body might be considered to be ‘wrong’. Robert was assigned female at birth, his biological sex was female, and following this there is an assumption that his gender would also be female. But Robert identifies as neither female nor male and his body reflects this. In contrast to Robert’s body, my body as someone assigned female at birth is considered to be ‘right’. Robert’s body may at first appear unusual because most people are not used to seeing bodies that are outside the polarities of female and male. However, Robert’s body is right for him.
C-type colour photograph, 100cm x 125cm.
