Legacy Art Gallery in downtown Victoria

Legacy Art Gallery in downtown Victoria

Legacy Art Gallery in downtown Victoria

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March 16, 2020

The queer portrait exhibit, FLUID, succeeds in highlighting its message about the defiance of gender fluidity. The works’ subtlety mystifies and educates the viewer through an engaging visual experience.

FLUID is a photo project helmed by Los Angeles based photographer Blake Little that attempts to capture the queer faces of the West Coast. The exhibition runs until April 11 at UVic’s Legacy Art Gallery in downtown Victoria. The work features 21 portraits of individuals who identify as transgender, non-binary, two-spirit and the many unidentified spaces that lie in between. The focus is on fluidity and the defiance of gendered social norms.

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Walking into the space, the viewer is first met with a stark room. There is not much to see but the photos themselves, pushing them to the forefront of the viewer’s gaze. This atmosphere highlights the subjects in a necessary way. Adding to this, the manner in which the photos have been framed says a lot about how Little wants us to view his work. In the photos, the subjects have been placed upon a black background, allowing their gender presentation to be the focus. Further, the subjects are not depicted with joyful faces. Rather, they share expressions of calm unrest, possibly implying the defiance outlined in Little’s aim with the work. These elements allow each person’s personality to shine, along with how they present themselves on the spectrum of gender.

K.P. Dennis is the most colorful and expressive of the bunch. They (Dennis uses the pronouns they/them) sport a blue-and-gold look in their makeup and dress, a look that does not conform to any established gendered role. In their photo, they proudly present their non-conformity.

The beauty of Little’s approach is in the range of experiences it provides. The images may share similar titles and expressions, but no two photos show an identical representation of gender. Though photography is considered an inherently static medium, this exhibit challenges that notion by conveying the fluidity of gendered and sexual expression.

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Curiously, the exhibit avoids subtlety in some in its written sections. These descriptions give the viewer insight on the lives and struggles of queer individuals. These blurbs feel necessary to the education portion of the experience. As much as FLUID is a declaration of identity and defiance, it also works to educate its audience on queer issues. Many of these descriptions speak of abuse, discrimination based on sex and other significant grievances not known to the majority of the public.

One could argue this portion takes away from the visual factor. However, having this background elevates the visual elements. It presents the viewer with the necessary context of oppression that is being combatted through Little’s artistry. It shows care towards both the general audience who may be uneducated on LGBTQ+ concerns, as well as care towards the importance of these issues themselves.

While there is plenty that visually excites in this exhibition, it also excels in its restraint. Though the approach is subtle, many of its characters are not. There is something amazing about the perfect balance of loudness and quiet resistance this exhibit communicates. In conveying defiance, the photographed subjects wear their identities silently and beautifully.

Legacy Art Gallery in downtown Victoria

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