Not In Your Face

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What is striking in the series “Not in Your Face” is T-shirt, although it is clear that the photos are not about T-shirt per se, but people, their stories, identity and its expression. The artist looks for the personalities who stand out from the crowd with a message on their back. These messages are combinations borrowed from contemporary (pop?) culture images and phrases, however, mixing different meanings into one, a new sense emerges. Thus, these individuals become kind of creators of their own iconography, which explores cultural, political or social issues.

According to the author, August Sander’s typology had a significant impact on the artist, in particular his sociological perspective towards time studies. Her goals are similar: she defines subculture and informals, which reflect American identity. Everyone declares personal hopes, ideals, loves and hates, thus revealing a little bit of personality to others.

Shooting from the back, the artist is trying to verify whether body type, dress and behavior tell us as much as facial expressions.

For the exhibition, only the works referring to holidays and celebrations have been selected to reflect feelings of the T-shirt owners often being in contrast to their everyday environment.

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Susan A. Barnett

At the age of 15 she got her first camera and soon after started photographing her everyday life, that she saw around.

With a formal education in Art History and Studio Art, she landed a job at Perls Galleries on Madison Avenue, where she worked for twelve years as Associate Director. She handled Picasso, Braque, Leger and Matisse as well as preparing exhibitions and catalogues for Alexander Calder.

In 1990 she went back to school to study graphic design and computer based photography at the School of Visual Arts, where she studied with Milton Glaser and Paul Davis.

Susan currently lives in Manhattan, where she maintains a working studio in Tribeca.

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