"Super Me": A Subversive Exploration of Man's Self Identity
"Super Me" is a curious selection of photographs threaded together by a quest to understand the notion of identity. Nostalgic imagery of a pseudo super hero--courtesy Norwegian photographer Ole Marius Joergensen-- are juxtaposed with graphically manipulated portraits by Italian art director and photographer, Giuseppe Mastromatteo. At the surface, there is an extraordinary disparity in the content of these images; Joergensen highlights a lonesome super hero navigating through a deserted landscape, while Mastromatteo overlaps multiple subjects within a shot to create a sort of hybrid human. This carefully curated veneer, however, aspires to awaken one’s sometimes dormant desire to discover (mis)conceptions of his/her own identity.
In his "No(rwegian) Superhero" series, Joergensen explores the perception of national identity by documenting the existence of a dejected superhero as he unsuccessfully attempts to surpass nature's limitations. 'Wish I Could Fly’, an image of the hero solemnly gazing at the sky with hopeful delusions of soaring those heights, is intended to depict the wavering national identity of Norwegian countrymen. From a socio-economic standpoint, the success of Norway’s oil industry has enveloped countrymen in a formidable bubble of prosperity, a delusional bubble that is much like the tenuous facade of super human strength associated with the hero subject. Ultimately, however, every bubble must burst, and the present instability of oil prices not only threatens Norway’s financial prosperity, but continues to compromise the confidence of Norwegians’ in their national identity. This insecurity can be likened to the disillusionment that is realized by Joergensen's hero.
How cleverly calculated is his approach in linking self-identification with national citizenship. By spotlighting the concepts of this ubiquitous equation, Joergensen emphasizes the instability of this faulted perception.
Following the subversive thread of "(No)rwegian Superhero" is "Indepensense”, a scintillating selection of illusory portraits by Giuseppe Mastromatteo. Mastromatteo masterfully juxtaposes and overlaps nude subjects to create anatomical transparency as a kind of body language. In general, physical expression commands a dominant role in communication, and Mastromatteo believes that most concealed emotions are revealed through body language.
By merging body parts of different models, Mastromatteo makes a labyrinth of logic, urging viewers to consider his/her own identity as a by-product of his/her own physical—and emotional—proximity to, and interaction with others. Body language is an aspect of emotional language, and emotions are as manipulable as Mastromatteo’s high definition images. Upon confronting this concept, one recognizes the uncertainty of his/her own cognizance, and is inspired to question his/her own super human capacity.
Constance Victory
Ole Marius Joergensen + Giuseppe Mastromatteo
“Super Me” February 25 – April 2, 2016
Emmanuel Fremin Gallery
547 W. 27th Street #510, New York, NY 10001
T: 212.279.8555
Hours of operation:
Tuesday ~ Saturday 11am ~ 6pm
