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Title: Nikki S. Lee: Projects by Russell Ferguson, Gilbert Vicario ISBN: 3775710914 Publisher: Hatje Cantz Publishers Pub. Date: 15 August, 2001 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $35.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.25
Rating: 5
Summary: Not Blending In
Comment: I love Nikki's photographs because they show us her trust as an artist and her curiosity with life. The fact that Nikki changed her name to Nikki shows us something in it self. WHy nto keep her original Korean name? We'll never know. I was recently at the Albright-Knox Gallery in Buffalo and this was my first exposure to Nikki's photos I wish Nikki great luck with her coming projects and I can't wait to see more!
Rating: 3
Summary: AKA "melting seamlessly into another subculture"
Comment: After hearing all the hype about Nikki S. Lee and her photoessays into "becoming" part of a social monosphere, i decided to check this book out. Consisting of simple documentary-style snapshots, Nikki neatly portrays her "scrapbook" of how she meshes seamlessly into another subgroup (latinas, skaters, schoolgirls, senior citizens, punks) by adopting their hair, dress, poses, makeup, mannerisms, and turf.
With the help of wrinkled skin, powdery white wig, and saggy stockings, Nikki transforms herself into an old lady: a snapshot of her getting off the bus in a slow, painful manner illustrates how she not only takes on the look of a certain group, but their whole soul and gestalt. In another montage, we see Nikki with piercings, spiked leather, fishnets, smeared makeup, hanging out with the Trash & Vaudeville crowd. She doesnt look awkward or "wanna be"; blending in as seamlessly as possible is Nikki's goal, which she finesses quite well. Next we see Nikki as white trash, donning a peroxide blond wig, stained cutoffs, cavorting with toothless, beer-belly trailer trash. It's effective and fascinating to see this innocent asian girl switch personas without mocking the subgroups in question. She actually pulls off the latina chola look, unblended lipliner, door-knocker earrings and all--and the best thing is that she does it so innocently, like an admirer looking up to that subculture's beauty ideal. Nikki's portraits are filled with detail and such realism that we forget who Nikki really is for a moment.
I find that of all nikki's "projects", the ones that have most draw are the ones most extreme, and i found some of the projects unimaginative and downright unnecessary. Why include a "Yuppie project" at all? Anyone can don a pair of Dockers and overcoat and look like a Wall Streeter--how boring. Even I can do that! And the "Japanese Schoolgirl" project--As an asian girl with young features--Nikki already looks like a schoolgirl and thus does not have to try very hard to appear like one. The "Tourist" project is also pedestrian: How hard is it to put on some bermuda shorts, fanny pack, fat camera and unfolded map to look like a tourist in New York? Not very. But how hard is it for a normal person to look like a realistic Goth? See, It isn't a challenge portraying a group close to one's own--but it is much more challenging to portray a group removed from your ethnicity, age, and mainstream--which is why the Latina project and the Punk project are triumphs. The others could have used some more imagination. Overall, an interesting compilation of photographs, but not every series is a winner.
Rating: 4
Summary: 'you need to leave now'
Comment: I was in a random Berlin museum with this book on my lap before it 'officially' came out, and the guards yelled at me.
I guess I was cracking up. Maybe it's because, 'It's funny because it's truuuuue!'
I don't want to launch into theory on acknoledgement of self, portraits, 'artistic license', even levels of humor and seriousness, but perhaps I'm able to take this collection of transformation into a 'type' with great humor and appreciation because I know all those groups -
ooh! the little kitschy japanese school girl, the tourist, the old lady, the stripper, the chola - the reason it's not just poking fun or trying to make some serious political statement is because of the realism: snapshots, without the precedence of it all being 'art', but down to the detail of fashion, the poses, and most importantly: what we don't see in the pictures - the days spent in these environments affecting the actual behavior.
uh, yeah. i tend to do ghetto, old lady, japanese school girl, and stripper moves and voices. i guess i identify. being a boy from california and all.
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Title: Girl Culture by Lauren Greenfield, Joan Jacobs Brumberg ISBN: 0811837904 Publisher: Chronicle Books Pub. Date: October, 2002 List Price(USD): $40.00 |
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Title: Daughter of Art History: Photographs by Yasumasa Morimura by Yasumasa Morimura ISBN: 1931788073 Publisher: Aperture Pub. Date: April, 2003 List Price(USD): $40.00 |
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Title: On Photography by Susan Sontag ISBN: 0312420099 Publisher: Picador Pub. Date: September, 2001 List Price(USD): $13.00 |
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Title: Kara Walker: Pictures From Another Time by Kara Walker, Thelma Golden, Robert Reid-Pharr, Annette Dixon ISBN: 1891024507 Publisher: Distributed Art Publishers Pub. Date: 15 October, 2002 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
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Title: Anna Gaskell by Anna Gaskell, Thom Jones, Nancy Spector ISBN: 1576870693 Publisher: powerHouse Books Pub. Date: November, 2001 List Price(USD): $49.95 |
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