Genevieve Gaignard

Alle fotografier av Genevieve Gaignard

Ord av Katie Farley

Genevieve Gaignards oppvekst ble en ganske personlig forvirrende periode, hvor hun taklet en sterk følelse av usynlighet. Hun er oppvokst i arbeiderklassens mølleby Orange, Massachusetts. Som barn av en svart far og hvit mor, hun var det velkjente mellombarnet med lys hud som ofte møtte mange kroppsproblemer og deretter slet med identiteten sin.

I dag, i alderen trettifem, Genevieve Gaignard navigerer i bekymringene rundt sin interseksjonelle individualitet og kanaliserer dem kreativt til kunstverk som gjenspeiler det 21. århundres samfunn og moderne kultur. Ved å bruke video, fotografering, og installasjon for å forhandle birasiale stereotyper og presserende sosiale spørsmål, the upcoming artist applies her own polychromatic portraits that evoke a striking balance of humor and heartache. Genevieve’s overall objective is to use the application of art to inspire necessary change.

Photographing herself as various archetypes of women through the exploration of fictitious, femme character performances, often transpire as being very personal individuals, an element she feels is important, given her fast rising profile. Injects pop culture references and selfie culture – Gaignard’s unique works resonate with the young generation, attaining much attention and acclaim. Fundamentally addressing the topical conversation of racial “passing” along with gender, she illustrates the difficulties of being a woman of mixed race, whilst living in American society. I tillegg, the upfront artist continuously challenges herself by questioning mass media, therefore examining the representations of black and white culture.

The site-specific spaces and geographies that act as the backgrounds in her multidisciplinary works are often photographed in rural Massachusetts towns and LA-inspired locations that are familiar places to Genevieve. Imidlertid, these areas do not completely define her materials. The works of John Waters heavily inspire her works, as he similarly applies the realities of dark cultural times and contrasts them with a sense of comedy and camp. Gaignard is specifically drawn to the film Hairspray, where you will witness many comparisons – the feminine performance, the plus sized character, and black and whiteness.

Despite acknowledging topics of cultural importance, Genevieve Gaignard opprettholder en oppløftende følelse av letthjertethet og glede midt i hennes kreative prosess. genevievegaignard.com