BA Documentary Photography. Student Book Archive. 'Helium', by Matthew Keenan. 2019.

Helium

by Matthew Nicholas Keenan

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Helium

by Matthew Nicholas Keenan

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Helium-4 Though it is becoming more accepted that gender exists on a spectrum and sexuality can be fluid, it remains difficult for a person who doesn’t identify within a hetero-normative binary to establish a life within society. Using a film noir aesthetic to emphasise the performative aspect of the images this project is an exploration of acting out one’s gender. Inspired by photographers Claude Cahun and Gillian Wearing, I have used self-portraiture to question preconceptions of gender and identity. The pictures, based on my personal experience, explore the difficult and sometimes contradictory processes of self-invention and selfassertion that can take place when a person’s identity can be challenging to define.

www.matthewkeenan.org Email: hello@matthewkeenan.org Images and layout by Matthew Keenan Š 2018