The Conditions
Paul Mpagi Sepuya is known for his tendency to focus on the social relationships that exist between young gay men in his social circle as the subject for his photographs. He however maintains a somewhat formal aspect to his work and this, combined with the innovations he has made in the filed of photography has made his work worthy of note. Pauls work often involves photographs of his subjects either in full or parts; printed photographs; drapery, all presented amidst mirrors to create an image that appears fractured and folds foreground and background. The approach Paul uses in his work creates the impression that his images are alive and paints a picture of not just the present, but also past moments and the emotions evoked all into a single plane.
Like most artists, Paul, through his work, creates art that evokes various emotions from the audience and while the artist tries to leave the interpretation to the audience, his work is greatly influenced by the experiences he has had and his own personal life (Abrams, 2017). His photographs for example, comprise of a cast of friends, most of whom are gay and through these photos, he is able to create interpersonal conditions that makes it a performative representation of people’s experiences in society. It further elaborates on his idea of how the boundaries between friends and lust are not always clear in the environment in which he, and artists like him live in.
An example of how this is portrayed in Paul’s work is evident in ‘The Conditions’. The artist uses sets that are made using wood, mirrors and black velvet drapery to create photographs that are carefully composed (Abrams, 2017). The images featured consist of an image of the artist’s camera, parts of his body and his entire figure that is reflected through the mirrors to create one image. The piece is evident of Paul’s desire to oversee the two sides of the gaze and this is evident in his blending of the portrait and self-portrait, a crucial element in his photographic practise. One of the parts that make up ‘The Condition’ is A Portrait and it features an androgynous white individual with curly hair. The individual is dressed in a sleeveless top, white in colour and a black shirt on top (Sepuya, 2019). The individual is seated sideways, revealing torn white socks as he is seated in front of a black curtain. From behind the curtain, one can see multihued vertical ribbons that draw attention to the manufactured nature of the photograph (Gilbert, 2019). Paul achieves this through a collage technique that mainly involves taking photos of reflections from photos he had previously taken and using them alongside one another. Pauls tendency to include himself in his work is also evident in the form of a knee that is seen poking into the lower right-hand side of the image.
‘The Conditions ‘can also be said to be a set of images that are carefully created with the intent to shed light on how social constructs influence issues such as race, gender and identity. The artist uses a complex blend of black and white colours combined with patterns to create a style that he has been identified with over the years. Thake the case of a darkroom mirror for example (Gilbert, 2019). A white hand is seen is seen reaching around a black curtain alongside a darker skinned hand to take a picture. Although the artist uses black and white together, the art is presented in such a way that the two colours are in contrast thus making them distinct. Through this, the artist is able to introduce the concept of race and sexual orientation and all this is achieved through the photographs (Howe, 2019). Paul is further able to create an impression of falling apart and calls attention to the fleeting nature of most things in society. Through the pieces, the artist draws the audience’s attention to the collage used and further employs the use of tape and binder clips. The use of tape and clips is a reflection of how things can be easily taken apart despite appearing intact.
Paul Mpagi places a lot of focus on the camera in ‘The Conditions’. The artist started off with a reputation for using straightforward shots of his friends, acquaintances and lovers with an inclination towards the gay culture as a result of the influence from the artist’s life in New York. There is however a shift from this and it is reflected in the piece. While in graduate school, Paul started creating pieces that were more self-reflective as is evident in ‘The Conditions’. While incorporating his camera in almost every image in the piece does not have that big of an impact on its own, it is another example of how he incorporates himself into his work and also how much his experiences influence his pieces (Howe, 2019). The artist is able to sometimes portray people’s sexuality as something that is both contemporary and also something that is rooted in a people’s history similar to how the camera has been part of photography throughout history.
In addition to exposing some of the contradictions that exist in stereotypes that define society, the piece further exposes vices such as racism. In the piece, the artist draws the audience’s attention to a dark cloth that resembles the black piece of fabric that is usually reserved in the background when it comes to photography. This can be seen as a representation of how those of African American decent are often held back while whites are seen in the foreground as is the case in the piece (Irvin, 2019). While the dark cloth is still somewhat overshadowed by other colours, it is held up by a metal clamp that is however attached to some unseen object. The artist may have left this to the audience’s imagination or, done it intentionally to show that ideologies, policies and stereotypes used to create the rift between people based on race and colour has no solid foundation (Irvin, 2019). This makes the piece more captivating in that; it exposes the vices in society; and also shows how baseless some of the beliefs are, making it easier to stray away from them not just through art, but in society.
The camera is given more attention in the Darkroom Mirror where one model is shown handling it gently. The body of the model is out of the picture frame and a woman who is mostly visible is seen making her part of the image, to some extent. There is also the image of two gay men engaged in sexual activities (Maraz, 2018). On their own, the incomplete images or those stretching out of the picture frame draw more attention to the camera which takes centre stage. The image can be seen as a representation of the artist’s depiction of the originality around art and his photographs. He chooses to feature different people, sometimes in part, other times in whole. There is also an over emphasis of the camera which is often presented in full (Maraz, 2018). This can be an indication of the artists ideology of how, art itself can never be affected by the subject of what the art is. Whether an artist chooses to focus on himself, a gay couple or pieces that tell a story, the impact should be from the art itself and not the images depicted. The piece can thus serve as a call to action, urging the audience to shift their focus from what influenced the artist to make a certain piece and rather focus on the piece itself and the impact it has on their lives.
The Conditions entails various images that Paul Mpagi uses to draw attention to the art itself. Similar to other work by Paul, The Conditions reveals a great deal of the artist’s experiences and style. Despite this however, the piece can also be interpreted as a call to action for art lovers to not let the artist’s beliefs and opinions affect the impact that a piece has. Instead of focusing on the content, the piece draws attention to the images themselves and thus allowing the audience to interpret it in their own way. It is this ability to draw attention away from the artist to the art itself that makes it a piece worthy of note.
References
Gilbert A, (2019) “Paul Mpagi Sepuya’s ’The conditions’”, Art Agenda Reviews, retrieved from, https://www.art-agenda.com/features/262407/paul-mpagi-sepuya-s-the- conditions
Howe E, (2019) “Pau;l Mpagi Sepuya” Art in America, retrieved from, https://www.artnews.com/art-in-america/aia-reviews/paul-mpagi-sepuya-62668/
Irvin R, (2019) “Deconstructed bodies: The photography of Paul Mpagi Sepuya” retrieved from, https://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/paul-mpagi-sepuya-photography-210619
Moraz S, (2018) “Paul Mpagi Sepuya uses portraiture to expose homoerotic desire”ID, retrieved from, https://i-d.vice.com/en_uk/article/d3qqzk/photographer-paul-mpagi- sepuya-explores-homoerotic-desire-in-mirror-studies
Sepuya M, (2019) “The Conditions” retrieved from, http://www.teamgal.com/artists/paul_mpagi_sepuya/exhibitions/403/the_conditions
Abrams L, (2017) “Paul Mpagi Sepuya on capturing the slippery boundaries between the platonic, romantic and sexual in queer social circles” Artspace, retrieved from, https://www.artspace.com/magazine/interviews_features/qa/paul-mpagi-sepuya-on- capturing-the-slippery-boundaries-between-the-platonic-romantic-and-sexual-55174
