Growing up in Macon, Georgia I always found it difficult to find representations that I related to. I continuously questioned where the depictions of Black men like myself were hiding. As I have grown into the creative I am, I realized early on that it was my duty as a queer, southern, African American male to use my crafts to build up the canon of visual culture that represents people like myself. As a photographer, I have committed my lens to the exploration of the intersectionality of Blackness. I create work that champions the nuances of sexuality, class, age, gender, and essentially the culture of Black people. This exploration is ultimately what led me to begin working on my current photo series titled When I Think About Power. When I Think About Power is a poetic photo series that dives into Black masculinity. By capturing both the strength and vulnerability of subjects, this series reinvents visual tropes of Black strength and counters stereotypes presented within our society. I have come to realize that my strength as a Black man is not in the muscles on my body, the aggression in my tone of voice, or any other false narrative within notions of heteronormativity. I’ve discovered that my strength is in accepting who I am every day and wearing my authenticity proudly. This photo series is my artistic expression of that discovery.
I have mainly created images from When I Think About Power within the photo studios of New York University, where I study photography. However, with covid restrictions and a rise in cases, the past semester has led to the limitation of studio use here at NYU. I was led to paying for studios out of pocket in order to continue shooting for this project, however being a student without a steady income, doing this has been incredibly difficult. If I was to win, I would use the space in order to do some shooting that expands this series and elevates its production quality. I have spent so much time looking at spaces and wishing that I could afford them as they would be perfect to execute some unique photo idea. However, many of those ideas have stayed buried in my journal. Winning would mean being able to turn some of those ideas into more than just words in a notebook.
Peerspace is on a mission to bring people together. We believe it is impossible to achieve that goal unless we also fight for equality and access to resources in the communities we serve.
Having a space to gather, create, and exchange ideas is an important part of any movement. In order to magnify voices that are often quieted, Peerspace will sponsor venues for people who challenge prejudice and fight for social justice and equality.
Each quarter, we will sponsor space for three projects that are relevant to our community. These projects can range from fundraisers and educational initiatives to art exhibits and photo series.
