GENNARO MAFFETTONE PHOTOGRAPHY

Artist Statement

Where Performances Meet... and Continue - Gennaro Maffettone

“Where performances meet... and continue” is the progression of a project Gennaro Maffettone started earlier this year. Initially, the project featured a journey of personal interest and discovery through documentary-based and fashion photographs/polaroids of Drag Queens around London. The series was an intimate overview of the on and off stage Drag culture and eventually the connection between this and the photographer’s persona.

What stood out from the project was, though, the performative side of the culture as it is something the artist feels close to, being a performer himself. Therefore, the piece of work started developing towards that same direction and the artist decided to keep the polaroid aesthetic to capture himself and the type of performance he was a part of. After exploring and connecting his practice and the Drag’s he previously photographed, the idea was to now involve many other performers to keep the project going and eventually bring all the diverse styles together.

After choosing the material to submit for the final Major Project assignment, I experimented with some mockups to try and envision how I would have displayed my photographs at the show.

At first I thought of keeping the idea of printing the polaroids A1 size, like I did for the Pilot show back in December. I would have, then, printed the collage in the same size and placed it at the very end of the line for clear storyline matters.

I, then, tried to envision how the collage would have worked printed on a bigger scale, using the original size polaroids around it. However, I immediately discarded the idea as, to me, it is not visually pleasing, it looks confusing like too much is going on at the same time, without any visual movement and/or depth to the display.

The rejection of the last mockup was also decided after having experimented with this next display type. I placed all the polaroids first in their original sizes (as they give me more authentic vibes) and the collage ideally printed A1 size. 

Because of both visual reasons and because of the fact that I wanted to include explanatory text, I decided to include neon lights as a part of the installation saying “To be continued”. This way, the display also makes sense chronologically, starting from the essence of the project to the progress and adaption to the circumstances and finally to when I will be able to continue making work.

Original Polaroids

Collage

I chose to submit all my polaroids as they are what kept my project going and clear since the start. They are also what kept my experimentation going, even though I was always visually drawn to those. Especially when I shot polaroids of myself, I was very happy with how they turned out as I knew I could achieve something different with those, something I hadn’t done before.

As I mentioned previously, my project was turning into a documentation of performers and the diverse styles surrounding the industry and personalities, in order to eventually bring those together and so connect them all. Because I could not keep shooting and because my life as a performer also had to pause, it did not feel right to keep the shootings going (perhaps via FaceTime).  Therefore, after engaging conversations with my tutors I figured I would keep making collages with performance pictures I had already taken as a kind of storyboard of what the project will aim to in the future, when I will be able to carry it on. Since I ended up focusing the aesthetic of the whole project on polaroids, I made the first collage inside one of the polaroids I took. With this one, I have mixed some of the Drags with a couple of objects they used behind the scenes which, to me, helped depict the world of entertainment from a closer point of view.

With this second collage I was just trying to make obvious the fact that I was trying to bring diverse styles of performance together. I gathered silhouettes of hip-hop, ballet, jazz, and ballroom dancers, then placed them all in front of this dreamy and kinda ‘make a wish’ type of scenario which emphasised the current stage of where my project was at... not done yet!

I started thinking about how to show these collages in a gallery space and since this particular collage did not feel strong enough to be by itself, I was considering the idea of add a writing “To Be Continued” which once again would have stated clearly the stage of the project.

I kept on creating collages and playing around with text to see if eventually it would have worked well, for what I intended the collages to do. At this stage I knew that I wanted my collage to function as a poster, rather than having a series of collages that could have mislead the viewer from my initial idea.

“From its roots in European Dadaism in the early years of the twentieth century, shadowing modernism and tracing its way through photography, collage is a medium as diverse as it is politically charged. Emerging as a reaction to the First World War, collage allowed artists to interact with existing materials – anything from newsprint and magazines to maps, tickets and propaganda and photographs – to rip them apart and then reassemble them, creating visually dynamic hybrids.

Coined by Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso, the term ‘collage’ points towards a medium simultaneously serious and tongue-in-cheek; a technique that is deeply referential of the political world in which the works were produced. Via the assemblage of different objects and images, collage interrogates the fundamental concept of what it is to create art, whilst offering a prismatic reflection of the social change and upheaval of the twentieth century.” Another, 2014

Raoul Hausmann

Man Ray

Jesse Treece

Ed Ruscha

Sigmar Polke

Martha Rosler

As I mentioned, because of the global crisis I could not carry on shooting more performers/artists and so from one day to another, I just started messing around with my archive/photographs and making collages out of them.

Each collage, I believe, just resonates with my emotions during the unexpected times as it was all a very natural and not studied process.

Context: The first collage just came from a thought of freedom so I collected the flowers and the sun flare from a holiday picture took 2 years ago. It just makes me warm and happy when I look at it... I believe I started creating these to please myself with visuals.

It took me just few minutes to make this collage as all the elements you see, I visualised them the night before making this. And so, when I woke up I just picked up the pieces from the Internet and put it together, just as I saw it!

For this third collage I kept the same universe background as the time when I made this and the previous one, I felt very spiritual and I was kinda looking for answers and peace in it. All the smoke just depicts a state of relax and acceptance of the situation I was strongly feeling.

At this stage, I was not concerned about dealing with the current crisis situation and just felt inspired and empowered by a Bruno Mars song “Gorilla” (linked below).

This last collage also comes from a pure visual inspiration by another singer/songwriter, Victoria Monét (which also resonated with my will of just going to the place I most like, the beach!... as summer was approaching too).

And so after researching and knowing what, this time, I wanted to explore I got in the studio and started testing with some self-portraiture.  As I mentioned previously, this was not a way of starting a brand new project, instead, it was a way to continue the understanding of performance which started when I photographed Drag Queens but had to continue by connecting other types of performance to it and see if and how those could be related in some way. Therefore, I decided to keep start making the first connection between the Drag Queen type of performance and my type of performance by shooting with what, to me, seemed like the most authentic way... polaroids. The reason why I think polaroids were the most authentic is purely because, thanks to the signatures of the subject, I felt like the approach was different and more valid so it was important to me to keep crating with polaroids which I could then put together once the whole process was done. Self-portraits

I chose to go for this contrasty, dramatic light and dark type of style as it depicts the intensity of my emotions when I perform. I wanted it to be something that wasn’t “technically perfect” and so I am happy I came out with these heavenly type of polaroids (which I believe are also open to interpretation of feelings due to the fact that the lighting can be defined as different or not commonly seen)

More Test Shots (experimenting with aesthetics)

To shape my new Major Project direction was the American dancer Merce Cunningham. As writers state, his influence opened up a space for experiments well beyond dance.

He is said to have danced art history in a new direction.  The Walker Art Center in Minneapolis and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago museums, in 2017, showcased his diverse collaborations with the celebrated artists, filmmakers, and composers he worked with, including major pieces by Robert Morris, Bruce Nauman, Frank Stella, Nam June Paik, and others. Cunningham was intrigued by the potential of random phenomena as determinants of structure. Inspired also by the pursuit of pure movement as devoid as possible of emotional implications, Cunningham developed “choreography by chance,” a new technique which would then change the dance influence, starting from the Dance Company he formed in 1953.

At the Pilot Major project show I had the chance to exhibit a work in progress of the ideal final installation (taking place in June 2020 at Free Range gallery).  I, then, had two of my polaroids printed A1 size and placed them with the rest of the original polaroids to see if there could was any way I could have included them in their actual format.

Artist Statement

Who’s the Queens? – Gennaro Maffettone

“Who’s the Queens” is one of the latest pieces of work by AnnaxGennaro, an artistic duo formed by Gennaro Maffettone and Anna Schnabl. The project features documentary-based and fashion photographs of Drag Queens around London. The series is an intimate overview of the on and off stage Drag culture and eventually the connection between this and the photographer’s persona.

Through a journey of personal interests as well as experiences, the artist wanted to dig into the LGBTQ+ community, specifically the Drag scene, as it included  the ‘performance’ which is also another aspect the photographer could relate to and had experience in. Combining these aspects which all related to the artist’s persona but also opened up questions, Gennaro Maffettone was interested in gaining the knowledge of such topic personally, rather than base it on other people’s beliefs and thoughts.

The artist also talks about the difference of such scene between London and the place he comes from.

After test printing and researching methods of displaying work, I came to the conclusion that I wanted my work to challenge the viewer’s understanding by showing all 10 polaroids in A1 size, positioned one next to each other (see sketch below). Part of the final decision of experimenting with the polaroids was the fact that, even though I am happy with the medium format pictures, the polaroids had that something more which was the signature. It gives importance to the subjects and can be considered a first approach to their personalities as both the pose and the signature was decided by them.

However, I still want to include the medium format images as it shows the documentation and study of the subject from my personal perspective. In fact, at the final show, followed by the prints, I will include a Photo-book containing the whole series of images as well as quotes from the Queens (as I will be interviewing them in future shoots).

Artist Statement

“Who’s the Queens” is one of the latest pieces of work by AnnaxGennaro, an artistic duo formed by Gennaro Maffettone and Anna Schnabl. The project features documentary-based and fashion photographs of Drag Queens around London. The series is an intimate overview of the on and off stage Drag culture and eventually the connection between this and

the photographer’s persona.

Through a journey of personal interests as well as experiences, the artist wanted to dig into the LGBTQ+ community, specifically the Drag scene, as it included  the ‘performance’ which is also another aspect the photographer could relate to and had experience in. Combining these aspects which all related to the artist’s persona but also opened up questions, Gennaro Maffettone was interested in gaining the knowledge of such topic personally, rather than base it on other people’s beliefs and thoughts.

The artist also talks about the difference of such scene between London and the place he comes from.

In this regard, Maffettone explains: “My most frequented bar since I moved to London was G-A-Y. I would always see billboards of Drag Queens hosting events and club nights but I never really questioned anything, I was just very fascinated by their aesthetics until I started reading about it. Many academics and journals debated on the importance and impact this culture has on the whole community and society as a whole, especially when it comes to give examples of freedom of expression. At this point it was not just about very cool and funny performers but I intended to figure out what Drag meant to them, apart from the stereotypical reflections on such individuals, and how they integrated that night life into their everyday one. Thus, here it grows in me the excitement of learning more and the will of documenting their lives myself, and what better way to do it than through my photography?”

itsjustbones

poppydomqueen

xaiamode

petitelame

These are London based Queens who I got in touch with via Instagram, told them about my project, showed examples and they agreed to take part in my project. Therefore, they will surely be my next subjects with which I want to take my story next level. I am planning on spending more time with them and interview them!

Richard Prince: His exhibition – New Portraits – opened in June at the Gagosian gallery in London, having debuted in New York in 2014.The portraits, however, are not new to everyone. This is because Prince’s New Portraits series comprises entirely of the Instagram photos of others. The only element of alteration comes in the form of bizarre comments made beneath the pictures by Prince himself (Parkinson, H. 2014)

His work mainly challenges today’s perspective of photography and art. It is about looking at nowadays digital era, and its appropriation in the art field.

Andy Warhol: Polaroid Pictures

Bastian

London, 2019

A series of over 60 portrait and self-portrait Polaroid photographs by Andy Warhol – some of which are exhibited for the first time – depict artists, actors, politicians and friends of his eccentric Factory entourage. The exhibition offers an intimate portrayal of New York in the 1970s and 80s during the establishment of a new visual culture. Positioning Warhol as both subject and spectator, the series highlights the artist’s prolific capacity as a chronicler of his time. (GalleriesNow)

Additional thoughts: 

I like how Andy Warhol’s polaroids were kept as they were and just framed the originals. I feel like, because of they’re history and for how iconic they are, they had to be presented in such form. I do not feel like it was right for them to experiment, as I feel like doing. I cannot see a connection between that display and what I am trying to experiment and say. My polaroids are not about the polaroids themselves, but about the drags and their stories.

WORK REVIEW

The message I wanted to share for this project seems to be clear thanks to both the polaroids and medium format pictures I have then at Heaven Nightclub. The storyline is clear enough, too.

However, the way I am going to display the work in the gallery is still unclear. Not sure if I should use polaroids only or medium format ones too. Also, if using polaroids, should I enlarge them to an A1 size, perhaps?

The feedback from my group was mostly suggesting to print the polaroids on A1 scale as, because of the aesthetic and the signature of the drags, they take the viewer to understand how close I got to them and my personal experience overall.

ON SCALE PRINTS TEST

I then tried to print both the polaroids and the medium formats on A1 scale. Both my pears and myself were 

Exhibition and Display - Tom Lovelace

He has been curating and deigning exhibitions for several years. Thinking about possibilities of display work, based on our personal project. How to stimulate the viewer. As photographers we are always thinking about making very successful picture which give strong impact, however, curating a show does not necessarily mean having just pictures. It is about editing. 

When shooting the picture is put into the world, but how do you decide to display it in public spaces? 

Brian J Morrison (large cuts out around gallery floor)

Larry Achiampong (gallery spaces are anywhere such as flags, billboards, events)

Martin Lange (working internationally... printed the whole work which fit in a box size)

Ryan L Moule (talks about time. He transforms the gallery spaces into darkrooms as he never stabilises film pictures. 

Mandy Lee Jandrell (surveillance research, used archive material to create an exhibition)

Being aware of future re-collaborations when working with someone. Display work taking into consideration your community plus beyond and outside of it so the work fits in multiple spaces. 

“If I can access your photographs on Instagram, why should I come to the exhibition?” 

Keep a documentation of the work after the show, keep it alive and think creatively on how to do so. 

Activity n 1 - find a pic and talk about its display

A3 Glossy paper Prints + Polaroids

Label

Feedback:

During the show, two of my classmates Tom and Katie had to review my work and tell me what they thought and if there is anything they wanted to see more of. The response from both and from the whole class was very positive. Tom and Katie and almost everybody else agreed that the polaroids are way stronger, especially because there is their signature which makes it more physical and thrown in the space of the viewer. Katie, however, added that she would like to know about the Drag Queens backstories, potentially in audio or text form.

Indeed, I agree with Katie as asking questions to the Queens is something that I want to add to my project in future shoots, as the first one did not give me much time to spend with the subjects.

More mounting suggestions have been given to me that day. In this regard, Brittany suggested to try and play with a little installation featuring a dressing table with my pictures all around it. Also, there could be a little booklet with a more variety of photographs I have taken, on the same desk. Furthermore, my lecturer added that it would be best to keep Medium format pictures and polaroid separated as they might seem like two different project.

However, since we had the pleasure of having the photographer Alexander Coggin as a guest lecture and at the show, I could have the chance to get some feedback from him, too. The artist also agreed on how strong the polaroids are, even though he believes I should stick with the Medium format photographs because they feel like something new, rarely seen before.

(Alexander Coggin, Making Pictures)