About Face

As I approached Pier 24 to visit the About Face exhibition, a man was fishing at the railing next to the entrance of the gallery. This is a common occurrence in seaports, and I admired his presence and his ability to adapt to his surroundings through this humble activity.

Once inside the gallery, my attention shifted from experiential to formal study. On display are hundreds of  captive faces representing history and the breadth of human behavior, from ludicrous stardom to glamorized politicians. Two photographs in particular resonated with me because, much like the fisherman, the subjects are living in a way that subverts the contemporary societies around them.

The half-nude man in Lucas Foglia’s Acorn with Possum Stew, Wildroots Homestead, North Carolina (2006) lives in an “earthskills” cooperative.¹ His confident yet unintimidating face gazes directly into the camera and reveals a sense of satisfaction. Through further research, I learned that Foglia spent months at a time with the people he photographed, documenting their routines. The man appears to be finished with the meal or perhaps on his way somewhere else, which allows the viewer to inhabit the man’s space and to be a part of the anti-urban life that he leads. 

The heroic figure in Adou’s Man and Sheep (2006) is also living in a way that emulates tradition despite modern  surroundings. The photograph portrays a shepherd from the Daliang mountains in the Chinese province where Adou was born. The shepherd belongs to the ethnic group known as Yi and is dressed in traditional, warm clothing. The formal, full-length portrait enhances his strong presence within the

Lucas Foglia, Acorn with Possum Stew, Wildroots Homestead, North Carolina; 2006; digital chromogenic print; 30 x 40 in. Courtesy of Pier 24, San Francisco.

slightly melancholy scene, in which dark silhouettes of sheep are gathered at his feet. Adou uses expired film and does not trim or cover irregular edges when the photos are mounted, which gives the almost life-size, gelatin-silver prints a hand-touched presence and a soft sepia tone that accentuates the poignancy of the work.

The subjects in both photos become emblematic of the denial of urban society, unaware of the fisherman outside the gallery but with whom they seem to share a kinship, despite being in different parts of the world. There are many other portraits in About Face that also engage and can lead a viewer to make a connection between the artwork and an actual experience outside the gallery. For this reason, the show leaves a lasting impression and generates the potential for any viewer to have a humbling experience.

About Face is on view at Pier 24 Photography, in San Francisco, through February 28, 2013.

Leora Lutz is an exhibiting artist with a professional background as a curator, writer and an art administrator. She holds BFA with distinction, and is pursuing an MFA and an MA in Visual and Critical Studies at California College of the Arts in San Francisco.

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NOTES:

1. Earthskills is a term used by the Wildroots Homestead to describe a lifestyle using sustainable agrarian skills outside of but partially in tandem with modern, urban society.