Sincerely Queer (originally titled Mauvais Genre), presents men and women donning clothing of the opposite sex. Taken in a photography studio at the end of the 19th century or behind the scenes of cabarets in the 1930s, in the intimacy of the bedroom or under the flash of a Polaroid camera, calmly posed or completely cheeky, these photographs make up a collection as unusual as they are precious.
Unearthed at flea markets and on the internet by Sébastien Lifshitz, these images speak of harassed identities who found a means of freedom in their clothing defiance. They also bring up how much (and with what weight) clothing reflected social and normative order, assigning to each person a role according to his or her sex.
Troubles with gender, the pleasure of cross-dressing, the striking and familiar beauty of the snapshot… the authors of this book shed light on this little-known territory, often unstated, with the representations of men/women at the crossroads of private life, the history of homosexuality, and militant feminism.
“I was always interested by the representation of the margins, those who are written on the edges of history, far from all moral, political or social power, far from being seen as normal,” explains Sébastien Lifshitz. “That’s why I’ve collected amateur photographs for so many years. They create a different perspective on the society. Cross-dressing is a wonderful example of it. We often say that transvestites fall within a realm of shameful privacy or burlesque cabaret, but in reality it’s much more complex. When dozens of women have their picture taken dressed as men, according to a collective rite strangely widespread at the end of the 19th century, it could be a political gesture, a way of appropriating men’s clothing in order to demand their same rights.
Since 1800, however, all women desiring to dress as men had to go to police headquarters to obtain authorization to do so. Those who braved the ban could have lost everything: their reputation, their friends, their jobs. That’s why a lot of these photographs are taken in private spaces (bedrooms, living rooms, and gardens), out of sight. There, people certainly felt freer, less obligated to respect the codes of representation. The exhibition Sincerely Queer is full of men and women who dared to play with gender in front of the camera, something that they may not have dared to do in public. In isolation, these little groups experimented with the mixing of genders with a joyful audacity. It’s in these intimate bubbles where a sprit of rebellion was created that, decades later, would take to the streets to express itself in broad daylight.”
Sincerely Queer, the Sébastien Lifshitz Collection (Mauvais Genre)
Through December 17, 2016
Galerie du jour Agnès b.
44 rue quincampoix 75004 Paris
France
Mauvais Genre
Book published by Éditions Textuel
45€
