Androgyny

In 2013-2014 I worked on a series in which I photographed 58 individuals for the series, Androgyny. Androgyny explored the power and complexity of gender identity through photographic portraits, short films, and a large-scale installation of a non-functioning public restroom where one can hear the audio interviews. The work challenged social constructions of gender and celebrated gender expression and fluidity. 

In the past 10 years, there has been an immense shift in the conversation surrounding gender, including heartening progress and troubling setbacks as gender identity continues to be a politically charged and contested space. For these reasons, I wanted to reconnect with my participants and both interview and photograph them again. It has been a delight to catch-up with folks and hear about each person's ever-emerging identities. The consensus thus far among participants is there has been progress but there is still a long road ahead of us and visibility and representation are critical. of what might yet (have) be(en)* seeks to stake a claim for difference while at the same time claiming belonging.

*The title of what might yet (have) be(en) is a sentence fragment pulled from Karen Barad’s Transmaterialities: Trans*/Matter/Realities and Queer Political Imaginings. 

- Lois Bielefeld