NYAB Event - Alix Smith "States of Union"

Alix Smith "States of Union"

Morgan Lehman Gallery

This event has ended.

States of Union, photographs by Alix Smith is her first solo exhibition with Morgan Lehman Gallery. Acutely aware of being different in a world of New York society, Smith struggled for years with her identity as a lesbian and an artist. For that reason, a common thread in much of Smith's work has been the theme of identity: her subjects' perceived and expected identity versus their true selves. For the project Constructed Identities, Smith asked friends from privileged backgrounds to dress as if they were going to work or dinner. The result was a series of portraits revealing what The New York Times called, "a triumph of custom over self expression."

For Smith, States of Union is a continuation of her exploration of identity. As she came to terms with her sexual orientation, Smith found herself searching for positive role models within the gay community. Media attention on events like the gay pride parade made her wonder why there weren't more representations of gay couples living "familiar" day to day lives. While portraiture has been used for centuries to memorialize the family lineage, these visual depictions have focused almost entirely on the heterosexual family unit. Gay families, with almost no history of depiction, do not have this same pronounced and illustrated legacy.