Hey, Hot Shot! Entries: Sigrid Jakob
Rocco by Sigrid Jakob
Aspiring Hot Shot Sigrid Jakob is interested in masculinity, in fact she limits her subjects to men and only men. In straightforward portraits within both studio settings and the domestic space, she analyzes their bodies through the lens––how they are put forward by the sitter and then how the bodies are accepted by her audience. In her words:
My basic theory is that being a man in this day and age is fraught with difficulty. Women have been gaining power, at work, in relationships, economically. Men are increasingly expected to conform to stricter ideals with regard to their appearance, being emotionally expressive, being good team players. Male stereotypes are no longer the refuge they once were. With these shifting expectations, men are expected to redefine themselves.
Known for her series on the gay male subculture of bears, she scrutinizes the manner in which the male body is exalted depending on the context. For her, bears represent “a redefinition and reappropriation of male stereotypes that is both traditionalist and utopian.�
Sigrid began taking photographs as a teenage runaway. The camera was a way to prove her existence and validate her view of the world when no one else cared. She is inspired by other female artists who are wandering in the terrain of masculine identity such as Collier Schorr and Laurel Nakadate.
Deadline is Tuesday May 8, 2007––time is on your side––but why not enter today?
