And then there was this as well...
The Reykjavik Grapevine:
Kaspars Bekeris is a former TV reporter and journalist in his native Latvia, and the photographer who has been steadily documenting Drag-Súgur’s work for over half a year now. In celebration of Pride week, an exhibition of his work with Drag-Súgur and other artists on the scene, titled ‘F*CK GENDER,’ will be on show at Gaukurinn. It’s the night before the exhibition when we speak, and he’s busy preparing lightboxes and staff for the big day.
Destroy, mock, add
“I want to say right away that I am not in any way an expert on drag,” Kaspars explains. “If I were to talk about my understanding of this form of art, it would say more about me than it would the art itself. I was there to document drag as a critique of the artificial nature of gender, but I quickly became more and more interested in the people themselves. They are really powerful artists—it is a pleasure to see how drag performers destroy, mock, or add new layers of gender identity. As a photographer, I just try to witness that and let them tell their story.”
He certainly does. Often taken close-up, Kaspars’ photographs capture the small details of the act of gendering in a way that brings visual ambiguity to the forefront of his compositions. They share with drag a certain ambiguity, which creates a space for expression.