Shikeith is an artist based in Philadelphia. Apart from photography, he is also a sculptor and a film and video maker. Looking at these three picture, it's easy to think that they're all from the same project, but they were taken and displayed at different times, with the first one from 2013 and the second tow being in the same project and taken in 2014. That being said, Shiketh has a very distinct style, and I'm sure many who are familiar with his work would be able to point out his work.
In his bio on his website, Shikeith explained that he was criticized a lot growing up and his masculinity as a Back man was questioned, mocked, and said to be almost non-existent by the boys he went to school with. This is obviously an ongoing project/theme for Shikeith: finding different ways to challenge the stereotypes of masculinity in society, with the Black community being one of the main targets and maybe finding different ways to portray what he sees masculinity as, as a Black man.
I find the second and third pictures really really interesting. Shikeith has more photos from this specific project and these two are my favorite out of all the selected work he has on his website. When I think of a black and white picture, I often think some something very static looking, with a lot of noise, or, if it turns out to be an interesting picture, like Kirsty Mackay, it's not of people. In the last two pictures you can see the depth and texture from the subject,and you almost don't even need color to show it. I really enjoy the way Shikeith uses light to create depth and texture within his photos, but also makes sure to keep the faces in the shadows. It makes me think that he wants to break the stereotypes of masculinity not just for himself, but for other Black men.
No comments:
Post a Comment